In April, I submitted two journals to an Ecobook Challenge organized by Mary Rezny, a local artist, and judged by Emily Martin, a book artist from Iowa who is interested in combining traditional book craft and art.  The Ecobook Challenge "encourages all residents of Fayette County to create a book from recycled and reused materials. The goal is to create a cherished treasure from items that are habitually thrown away."  I am pleased to announce that I received a letter saying that both of my books have been chosen for the Ecobook Challenge exhibit!  The opening reception is June 17 from 5-8pm at Mary Rezny's studio (903 Manchester St, Suite 170) and is in conjunction with LexArts city wide Gallery Hop.  Awards will be presented at 7pm.  I am thrilled to be participating!

Ecobook Statement:

I am an eco-friendly artist who has been salvaging and repurposing materials for years.  I appreciate sparing the environment, not adding to the landfills, and challenging my creativity to repurpose what might otherwise be a discarded textile.  I particularly enjoy re-imagining these materials into books that can be aesthetically and functionally appealing. I began bookbinding over 5 years ago and deeply appreciate the meditative quality it offers.  Initially, I started crafting books because I found journaling to be transformative in my own life.   I am mostly self-taught, experimenting with different techniques and combinations.  My inspiration comes from nature, ancient spiritual traditions, and anything whimsical, which I intertwine with ideas of function.  These two particular ecobooks are from almost completely salvaged and recycled materials.  All of the inside paper is 100% recycled, acid free paper.  The Spring Beckons Upcycled Leather Book is created from reclaimed leathers that are leftover from a car manufacturer that was closed down.  The Centering Flower Noteable Select was once part of the roof of the RDC Dome, an Indianapolis landmark between 1984-2008.  People for Urban Progress, an Indianapolis non-profit, salvaged approximately 13 acres of the roof material.  They continue to develop projects transforming the roof into various projects.   One of the projects is Noteables, which are books that I design from parts of the roof.  Because I create with repurposed materials, each piece is unique and cannot be recreated.