About



Mission & History

Center for Book Arts promotes active explorations of artistic practices related to the book as an art object.

Founded in 1974, Center for Book Arts (CBA) is the oldest non profit dedicated to uplifting and furthering the book arts & book art through education, preservation, exhibition, art making, and community building.

The book arts inherently democratize the powerful media of the book by empowering people to harness the format independent from the exclusive commercial publishing and gallery industries.

In solidarity with Black lives and in our efforts toward utilizing the book arts as a tool toward liberation, the Board and Staff of Center for Book Arts are committed to anti-racism and actively work against violence in all its guises.

A major goal of our programs, both in-person and online, is to encourage and nurture the many perspectives, experiences, and processes that artists bring to the space. We strive to cultivate a myriad of practices within the book arts, tying in our varied and collective histories outside of the dominant canon.

The organization opposes discrimination due to race, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, and age. We affirm our dedication to values that ensure transparency and equity for all our staff, students, faculty, and the greater book arts community.


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Programming

CBA’s multifaceted in-person and online offerings include:

CBA’s talented Artist Instructors, many of whom have been working with us for decades, teach a wide variety of book arts workshops with options available in-person as well as online. View upcoming workshops…

You can access our rich collections of artist’s books, books on book arts, and other rare items—many of which are not publicly available anywhere else in the world—online or in person (by appointment or drop-in). Make an appointment to view the collections in person by emailing collections@centerforbookarts.org.

Our dynamic exhibition calendar brings over ten unique curatorial presentations exploring the art of the book to CBA’s galleries each year. On view now…

From artist talks to poetry readings to community gatherings, CBA offers exciting ways to engage with the book arts through live programs that take place either in-person or online. Check out our events calendar…

CBA offers many opportunities for emerging artists, writers, scholars, students, and professionals to engage with the book arts including our Book Artist-in-Residence program, Annual Chapbook Competition, Book Art Research Fellowship, internship program, volunteerism, and more. See opportunities…

CBA’s well-equipped bindery and printshop studios feature 300 type specimens, vandercooks, a 19th century Washington hand press, several platen presses, a 36” guillotine paper cutter, board shears, varieties of presses including hot stamping presses, hand tools, and more. Studio rentals are available. Request a studio orientation by emailing studio@centerforbookarts.org.

Those looking for deeper engagement with the book arts and our community are invited to join our membership program. Learn more

In an effort to ensure our programming remains accessible to all who wish to engage, many of our programmatic offerings have pay-what-you-can pricing or need-based financial aid available.

Various images laid out in a scrapbook mapping the Center's first ten years, including a black and white photograph of people working in our bindery, taken by Richard Minsky, and a poster for an open forum in 1984
 Scrapbook items from CBA’s first ten years

Hours & Admission

Admission to CBA is free with a suggested donation.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 16
Memorial Day – May 29
Juneteenth – June 19
Independence Day – July 4
Labor Day – September 4
Indigenous Peoples’ Day – October 9
Veterans’ Day – November 10
Thanksgiving Day – November 23
Holiday Break – December 25 – January 2


Covid 19 Healthy & Safety

All visitors are required to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination upon arrival and wear a mask covering their nose and mouth at all times while on-site. If you do not have a mask when you arrive, one will be provided for you.

If you have a medical or religious exemption to the vaccine, please contact CBA Executive Director Corina Reynolds in advance of your visit.

View Full Covid 19 Policy

Directions

CBA is located in New York City’s Flatiron neighborhood at 28 W 27th Street, 3rd Floor between 7th Avenue and Broadway.

  • MTA N or R train to 28th Street and Broadway
  • MTA F or M train to 23rd Street and 6th Avenue
  • MTA 6 train to 28th and Lexington Avenue
  • 1MTA 1 train to 28th Street and 7th Avenue
  • MTA B, D, Q, and F trains to 34th and 6th Avenue Herald Square
  • MTA 2 or 3 train to 34th Street (Penn Station
  • 33rd Street PATH trains from Jersey City or Hoboken to 23rd Street and 6th Avenue or 33rd Street and 6th Avenue
  • Amtrak and NJ Transit to Penn Station (34th Street and 7th Avenue)
  • MetroNorth trains to Grand Central Station, then the downtown 6 subway to 28th Street and Lexington Avenue
  • M1, M2, M3, M5, M6, M7, M10 buses
  • Crosstown buses M23 & M34
    • 29 West 28th Street, between Broadway and 6th Avenue
      (Enter on 28th Street or Broadway)
    • 6th Avenue between 29th and 30th Streets
    • 101 West 23rd Street, near 6th Avenue
    • 1251 Broadway, near 31st Street
    • 39 West 23rd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues

    Please note: street parking in Manhattan is VERY limited and restrictions prevent the general public from using street parking on weekdays from 6am-7pm in our neighborhood.


    Accessibility

    Center for Book Arts welcomes all and makes every attempt to accommodate our community’s access needs.

    CBA’s building has an elevator, with a backup freight elevator, both accessible from street level.

    Our galleries and studio space are wheelchair accessible with an ADA-compliant bathroom. The space is regularly cleaned and sanitized.

    Large type programs are available on request. Please call ahead if you have questions or needs.


    Contact Us

    Center for Book Arts

    28 West 27th Street, 3rd Fl
    New York, New York 10001
    (212) 481-0295

    info@centerforbookarts.org

    Contact Us

    We receive a high level of inquiries, please be patient and allow 3-5 business days to receive a reply from the appropriate staff member.


    Staff

    Corina Reynolds
    Executive Director

    Elsbeth Pancrazi
    Director of Development

    Camilo Otero
    Artist Programs Manager

    Gillian Lee
    Librarian

    Allison Carter-Beaulé
    Administrative Assistant

    Zoe Katz
    Outreach Assistant

    Sidney Renaud Eberly
    Studio Assistant


    Volunteers

    Lizania Cruz, Studio Volunteer

    Poline Grishina, Studio Volunteer

    Malik Kirkwood, Exhibitions Volunteer

    Myong Jin, Studio Volunteer

    Caslon Yoon, Studio Volunteer


    Studio Ambassadors

    Biruta Auna, Elizabeth Castaldo, Roni Gross, Barbara Henry, MC Hyland, Nancy Loeber, Amber McMillan Braverman, Richard O’Russa, Caslon Yoon


    Senior Publications Advisor

    Cornelia Lauf


    Founder

    Richard Minsky

    Board of Directors

    Sheila Brathwaite
    Director of Global Event & Marketing Operations, S&P Global

    Roberta Brody
    Professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, Queens College (Retired)

    Stephen Bury, Chair
    Andrew W Mellon Chief Librarian, Frick Art Reference Library

    Gail Coleman, Treasurer
    Managing Director and CFO, J Fitzgibbons LLC, Retired

    Jesse R. Erickson
    Curator of Printed Books and Bindings, The Morgan Library & Museum

    Maria Fredericks
    Sherman Fairchild Head of Conservation
    Thaw Conservation Center, The Morgan Library & Museum

    Tom L. Freudenheim
    Museum Professional and Art Critic

    Neal Grenley, Secretary
    White & Case LLP

    Milan Hughston
    Museum Professional, Retired

    Miriam Schaer
    Artist and Educator

    Asher Schlusselberg, Vice Chair
    Associate, The Plymouth Group

    Sierra Stanczyk
    PwC

    Szilvia Szmuk-Tanenbaum, Emerita
    Special Collections Librarian and Faculty, St. John’s University, Retired


    International Council

    Thorsten Baensch (Brussels, Belgium); Sarah Bodman (Bristol, United Kingdom); David Dibosa (London, United Kingdom); Peter Foolen (Eindhoven, Netherlands); Jack Ginsberg (Johannesburg, South Africa); Angela Lorenz (Bologna, Italy); Susanne Padberg (Vienna, Austria); Priya Pereira (Mumbai, India); Sharmini Pereira (Colombo, Sri Lanka); Melanie Scarciglia (Paris, France); Renée Ting (Singapore)


    Press Clips

  • Americans Looking In at Center for Book Arts, Etty Yaniv, Art Spiel, Nov 18, 2020
  • The Bold Graphics and Hidden Stories Behind the Golden Age of Lebanese Film, Laura Feinstein, AIGA Eye on Design, Jul 20, 2020
  • Walt Whitman’s Words, The Artist’s Book YearbookAmerica Celebrates Walt Whitman, Walt Whitman Initiative
  • Walt Whitman Inspires Book Artists, Rebecca Rego Barry, Fine Books Magazine, Nov 19, 2019
  • Redefining Identity Through Artists’ Books, Megan N. Liberty, Hyperallergic, Aug 31, 2019
  • Building Blocks: Toward a Translation of Artists’ Books at the Center for Book Arts, Ikram Lakhdhar, The Chart, Summer 2019
  • Every Page of This Book is a Slice of Cheese, Abigail Cain, Atlas Obscura, Feb 18, 2019
  • The Documents Left Behind from Live Performances, Megan N. Liberty, Hyperallergic, Nov 30, 2016
  • South Florida Book Arts in New York, Peggy Roalf, AI-AP | DART, Mar 24, 2016
  • Esther K. Smith: Making Books with Kids, Peggy Roalf, AI-AP | DART, Feb 4, 2016
  • Seen in NY: Center for Book Arts, New Learning Times (Columbia Teachers College), Dec 20, 2015
  • A Guide to the New York Art Book Fair, Carey Dunne, Brooklyn Magazine, Sep 16, 2015
  • Book Arts Exhibit Opens At College of New Rochelle In September, Robert Mikulak, New Rochelle Daily Voice, Aug 11, 2015
  • The Center for Book Arts: 40 Years, Peggy Roalf, AI-AP | DART, Jul 1, 2015
  • Summer Exhibitions at the Center for Book Arts, Fine Books Magazine, Jun 24, 2015
  • The Center for Book Arts: Then & Now, Peggy Roalf, AI-AP | DART, Jun 18, 2015Artist Books, Art Nexus
  • In Readers’ Hands, Archives Find New Contexts, Megan N. Liberty, Hyperallergic, Mar 30, 2015
  • The Center for Book Arts 40th Anniversary Colloquium, Time Out New York, Sep 30, 2014
  • The Center for Book Arts Colloquium at MoMA: Collecting Artist Books, Fine Books Magazine, Sep 19, 2014
  • 1980s Counterculture, and Its Legacy, in Zines, Claire Voon, Hyperallergic, Aug 27, 2014
  • The Zines of ABC No Rio, Dan Piepenbring, The Paris Review, Aug 21, 2014
  • The Book as Art, Art as The Book, Kevin Di Camillo and Sherrie A. Wilkolaski, Publishing Perspectives, Aug 14, 2014
  • Center for Book Arts Exhibit Showcases Sublime Symmetry of Books, Kristin Travagline, Flatiron Hot! News, Mar 20, 2014
  • Book Arts Unbound, Peggy Roalf, AI-AP | DART, Feb 14, 2014
  • The Road to Al-Mutannabi Starts Here, Indypendent
  • ASHES TO PAPER—The Defiance of Remembering, Stephen Vincent Kobasa, Art New England, Jul/Aug 2013
  • Small Editions, Made By Hand, Peggy Roalf, AI-AP | DART, Mar 28, 2013
  • Canceled: Alternative Manifestations and Productive Failures, Adam Kleinman, Frieze Magazine, Oct 1, 2012
  • When Controversy and Failure Become Art, Alexis Clements, Hyperallergic, May 29, 2012
  • Analog Renaissance, Ashlea Halpern, New York Magazine, Jul 1, 2011
  • Collecting at the Center for Book Arts, Rebecca Rego Barry, Fine Books Magazine, Jul 2011
  • Events Inspired by the Written Word, Rachel Lee Harris, The New York Times, Jul 29, 2010
  • There Goes My Hero – What Makes a Book Work, University of the West of England Book Arts Newsletter, Oct 2009
  • Racism: An American Family Value, Peggy Roalf, AI-AP | DART, Jul 13, 2009
  • The Hand and the Book, Beverly Sanders, American Craft Council, Nov 3, 2008
  • Not Just for Reading, Beverly Sanders, American Craft Council, Oct 7, 2008
  • Show and Tell: Contemporary Practice in Artists’ Books, Sharon L. Butler, The Brooklyn Rail, Oct 2008Artist as Publisher and Fun & Games (And Such…), The Villager
  • Eat Your Words, Karen Shimizu, Saveur Magazine, May 20, 2008
  • The Book Art Movement, 1974-1999, Richard Minsky, minsky.com, Jul 22, 2001
  • Media Contact

    Corina Reynolds
    Executive Director
    corina@centerforbookarts.org


    Annual Report

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