The Maier Museum presents its 112th annual exhibition Back to Front: Artists’ Books by Women, curated by Martha Chiplis in collaboration with Martha Kjeseth Johnson and Book Arts Member Lyall Harris. The exhibit presents expansive concepts of the book as art, in an array of formats and materials. Content and themes are wide-ranging, expressing beauty, outrage, hope, loss, humor.
“At the Maier, we aim to tell as complete a story of American art as we can, and artists’ books deserve a spotlight,” said museum director Martha Kjeseth Johnson. “Back to Front is also inspired by current unsettling trends that seem to vilify books in general. In conjunction with the exhibition, we anticipate offering a range of engagements for our visitors to champion the book and academic freedoms.”
Back to Front: Artists’ Books by Women was made possible by the generous support of Mary Gray Shockey, ’69. The exhibit opens with a reception from 2 to 4PM on Sunday, Oct. 22. Museum admittance is free and open to the public. Museum hours are 1–5PM Wednesday through Sunday.
32nd Annual Helen Clark Berlind Symposium
The Maier Museum’s 32nd Annual Helen Clark Berlind Symposium, coming up on November 4 from 1 to 5PM, is inspired by Back to Front: Artists’ Books by Women. Panelists include artists Lyall Harris and Nia Easley, guest curator Martha Chiplis, and Lynora Williams.
Image: Lyall Harris leads a class at our Book Arts Studio. Photo by Pat Jarrett/Virginia Humanities
