The Artist Book Collection, a group of more than 75 handmade books, has been donated to the University of New Orleans and is now on display in the Louisiana and Special Collections at the Earl K. Long Library.
The Artist Book Collection is a rich resource of artists’ books for the city of New Orleans and surrounding areas. Envisioned as a teaching tool and exhibition, the collection includes artists’ books in all media, editioned and one-of-a-kind, on all varieties of subject matter. Interdisciplinary by nature, artists’ books move through the crossroads of visual art, literary art, graphic design, printmaking, bookbinding, papermaking and publishing.
This collection has been widely used by ɫɫо faculty members Ariya Martin and Abram Himelstein. Both have brought their classes to view it where it was previously housed in the Lower 9th Ward by local arts collective Antenna.
“As an artist and a visual arts educator, the Artist Book Collection has been an extraordinary resource,” Martin said. “Looking at the variety of ways a book can be an artistic form has inspired my own work, as well as that of my students. Specifically, I teach a class for fine art students with a photo concentration about creating a photo book, and I always used ABC for examples of what is possible.”
For Himelstein, the editor-in-chief at ɫɫо Press, the books show the range of what can constitute a book. “When we bring students to see the collection, it expands their ideas about the forms their writing can take. The very idea of what is a book is broadened by these objects,” Himelstein said.
Jessica Peterson, one of the people instrumental in the original assembling, saw the move as the most logical for the collection.
“ABC was started by a group of New Orleans artists interested in the book form,” Peterson said. “We felt there was no place in New Orleans to publicly access artists books. We have loved having the collection at Antenna, but can’t think of a better place for the collection to go than ɫɫо. ɫɫо students, through the ɫɫо Press and the art department, were the most frequent visitors to the collection since it opened in 2017 … and we could see the resulting inspiration from their visits in their artwork and ideas.
“ABC is proud to be collected by ɫɫо because we see the effort that ɫɫо staff and faculty make to support the efforts of local New Orleanians to become enriched and educated about visual art and tangential forms of expression.”
The collection’s move was arranged and facilitated by Earl K. Long librarians Lindsey Reno and Connie Phelps.
“The addition of these unique books will further expand the scope of the ɫɫо Special Collections and will provide the materials with a secure, long-term location with easy access for classes and individuals who wish to access them,” said Phelps, who oversees the Louisiana and Special Collections.
“I’ve wanted to bring artists’ books to our library for some years but have never had the means to do so,” said Reno, an acquisitions librarian. “I am thrilled!”
