West Liberty University’s Creative Arts Therapy Gallery is now exhibiting artwork created by the Crafts I & II class, Book/Art. It is the first exhibition in the new gallery space located on the second floor of College Union.
“Students were asked to explore the craft of bookmaking and create their own book. Students were asked to consider the function of their book: Will this book live as an art object or serve a purpose? Will I share information, tell a story, keep records or document life events,” explained Terri Giller, who is an instructor in the degree program.
Creative Arts Therapy student Juliana Haug based her book on the idea of “open when” letters.
“I wanted to create a sculpture journal of “open when” letters. To accomplish this vision, I made a total of 12 scrapbook pages that hold images and quotes based off of the letter. For example, my “open when it is winter” page has a lot of blue tones, snowflakes, sparkles, etcetera.”
Studio art major Jacob Pierce used his book to tell a personal story, “The project really opened up my eyes because for the longest time, even while in college, I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do with my life, I just knew that I liked to create art. So, I decided to tell a story with all the pieces of work that have influenced me through my whole art journey.” Surprisingly, Pierce discovered that pottery-making was a family business.
Students learned about book-making techniques and materials and looked at particular art movements that included book-making. Their art is a collection of these techniques, materials, and gives nod to these movements.
Art Education student AJ Butcher utilized binding techniques such as the kettle stitch and whip stitch to construct a book that unites both natural and synthetic materials; the book holds handmade paper with natural components such as flower petals and leaves and the cover has components of synthetic material such as fabric.
Haug also used a traditional Japanese binding method, Fukuro Toji that she said is commonly used when bookbinding.
“After placing each page on top of one another, they were sewn together … the stitches going through blank margins next to the loose edges. In this way, the sewn edges form the spin. This string-bound style is what I chose to finish my project. To add the element of sculpture, my journal is able to stand on its own, propped open to invite outside viewers to thumb through the pages,” Haug added.
“I was interested to see how students would integrate the tradition of bookmaking, contemporary art concepts, and push the boundaries of what is considered a book,” said Giller. “I was delighted to see how original and thoughtful these pieces were, despite being given the same instructions.”
WLU offers an undergraduate degree in Creative Arts Therapy as well as a master’s degree in Art Therapy and Counseling.
Located on the second floor of College Union (S27), the Creative Arts Gallery is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 – 2 p.m. All welcome to view this exhibition that continues to be on display through the end of Oct. 29. For more information, contact Giller at 304.336.8873.
