09/12/19

AMES, Iowa — “Box, Book and Board,” a group exhibition by four Ames artists, will be on display Oct. 2–25 at the Iowa State University Design on Main Gallery, 203 Main St. in downtown Ames.

The show will feature work by Deb Anders-Bond, Molly Ethridge, Eduardo Garcia and Kathy Svec, who explore avenues of expression that include and sometimes combine hand bookbinding, papermaking, digital and paper collage, assemblage and the use of selected text that creates a storytelling element. Precision and detail are key elements of these artists’ work, as is exacting craftsmanship. The exhibition will compare and contrast their four approaches to these materials and techniques.

Gallery hours will be from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Thursday. A public reception will be from 5–7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3.

Three workshops will be offered in conjunction with the exhibition. These workshops are free, but advanced registration is required as seating is limited. To register, email designonmain@iastate.edu by 5 p.m. the day before each event.

Paste Paper with Eduardo Garcia

2–5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5
Participants will make their own decorative papers for all sorts of uses. Learn how to make, color and apply the paste, prepare the paper, make patterns with selected tools and finish the decorated paper. The class will then see examples of ways to use the finished papers in a variety of suggested book bindings. Supplies will be provided.

Class size: Up to 8 students. Register by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4.

Quick Small Books with Kathy Svec

2­–5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12

Class members will learn three quick techniques for making small books: Star Book (3 variations), Pamphlet Fold Book (2 variations) and Accordion Book (2 variations). Participants should be able to take home several finished books, complete with covers. Supplies will be provided.

Class size: Up to 8 students. Register by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11.

SoulCollage with Deb Anders-Bond

1–5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19

SoulCollage is an intuitive process where participants select images from tables displaying hundreds of pictures. Class members will create 5-by-8-inch collages on boards and learn to interpret the personal meaning or message from the art they created. Participants should bring their own pair of sharp scissors. All other supplies will be provided.

Class size: Up to 8 students. Register by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18.

About the artists

Deb Anders-Bond holds a bachelor of fine arts from Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California. After many years as an outdoor portrait photographer, she began her collage practice 25 years ago and claims her collages “build themselves” with scissors and glue.

Anders-Bond exhibits her work annually at the Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition and has won several awards. Her work has been displayed at the Octagon Center for the Arts and other Iowa galleries, and is part of the Iowa State University Memorial Union art collection.

Molly Ethridge is a native of Des Moines and a graduate of Stanford University. She credits her fiber and paper design life to 23 years with talented art colleagues and design classes in California and Chicago – as well as to her sister and co-exhibitor, Deb Anders-Bond. She returned to Iowa in 2017.

Eduardo García is a bookbinder and papermaking artist who grew up in Colombia and now lives in Ames. He writes and creates handmade books with several papermaking, printmaking, calligraphy and bookbinding techniques, and teaches workshops on book arts and book restoration.

In 2007, García was awarded the Jeoraldean S. McClain Art History Fellowship to study historic bookdinding techniques in Loket, Czech Republic, under the guidance of master bookbinder Jan Sobota. He has exhibited his books locally and internationally, including the International Festival of Illustrated Books in Barcelona in 2010 and the Fanzine Festival in Paris in 2014.

Kathy Svec holds two degrees in art education – a bachelor of science from Iowa State University and a master of science from Florida State University. She taught art at the high school level, then worked for many years at the Iowa State Memorial Union, managing their art-related programs (now retired). She has been exhibiting her work since 1978 and has evolved through several other mediums before finding the current one. Svec’s work is part of the Memorial Union and City of Ames art collections and many private collections.

About the Design on Main Gallery

Design on Main is an extension of Iowa State’s College of Design that seeks to strengthen creative connections between the university and the community through arts education, artist-led projects and interactive events.

Contacts

Kathy Svec, Artist, (515) 232-4877, kathysvec@msn.com
Rachel Connell, Design on Main Gallery, designonmain@iastate.edu
Heather Sauer, Design Communications, (515) 294-9289, hsauer@iastate.edu

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