2024 Events & Activities – Focus on Book Arts

Welcome Reception

The Welcome Reception is held on Tuesday night before workshops begin on Wednesday morning. It is a time to hear more about the events and activities that will take place during the conference. More importantly, it is a chance to get to know some of your fellow conference attendees. Meet new people, catch up with previous conference attendees, welcome first-time attendees, and participate in a fun creative activity.

Trade Show

Come browse from the professionals! This year we’re expanding the trade show to have a cadre of book arts-related suppliers present all five days of the conference. Located in the same building as many of the workshops, you’ll be able to pick up supplies you may have forgotten, discover treasures you didn’t know you needed, find that elusive tool you’ve been looking for, or supplement your stash with something special.

Snag-a-bag swap

For FOBA 2024, we’d like to have some fun with our conference carry-all bag. We will be holding a snag-a-bag swap and sale.

Grab one of those bags from your conference tote collection and up-cycle it! You can repurpose one you already have by marbling, painting, dyeing, printing, collaging, embroidering or generally embellishing the bag into a new, one-of-a-kind collector’s item.

Photo Booth

Artist books can be difficult to photograph, especially when they involve many pages or moving parts. To help with this tricky task, we will be offering a photo booth set up for participants to document their artwork, along with handouts containing detailed instructions on the best ways to photograph your artwork and artist books in particular.

On-Site Supplies

Green Heron Book Arts from Forest Grove, OR will be providing supplies for preorder and for sale on-site during the conference.

FOBA Merchandise

Show your support for FOBA! For the 2024 conference, we have t-shirts, aprons, and tote bags for sale at BLUE FOX PRINTS

A portion of the proceeds benefits FOBA.

Limelight Moments

Here’s an opportunity for your moment in the limelight: bring a piece of artwork that you want to share with your peers, and what better group of peers than your fellow participants at a book arts conference? Present a finished work of which you are particularly proud and tell us about it. Talk about recent work in a new mode or medium. Present an incomplete project that has reached an impasse. Tell us how you achieved a recent commission or brought an idea from conception to fruition.

Keynote Speaker

Our featured speaker for the conference is Sarah Maker who describes book art as “when an artist gives you something and says, ‘This is a book,’ and you let that inform the way you interact with it.” She started the #AreYouBookEnough challenge on Instagram to educate the world about the book arts and foster meaningful bonds between book artists.

Fundraising Raffle and Silent Auction

FOBA will hold a Raffle and Silent Auction at the 2024 conference. Proceeds will support the Colleen Cavin Fellowship program as well as support the running of FOBA’s biennial conference. Raffle tickets will be available from volunteer sellers every day of the conference. You can participate in the Raffle and Silent Auction by donating items before the conference and/or bidding on them during the in-person conference.

Hospitality Night

Hospitality Night is a time to share what you have done in your workshops. In addition, we will be holding the Silent Auction, announcing the Challenge Book winner, BiblioBingo prizes, and holding the Flash Exhibit. Please note that there is no selling at this event.

Flash Exhibit

We will be holding a flash exhibit on Saturday evening during Hospitality Night. Be sure to bring what you’ve created during the conference to share, fill out your entry form, and you’ll immediately be entered into a drawing for one of the evening’s prizes!

First Timers Club

New to FOBA? You’re not alone! Join the First Timers Club and you can learn what to expect at the conference, make new friends, and get your questions answered.

Faculty-Staff Exhibit

The Faculty-Staff Exhibit is a great chance to see some works of art by your FOBA Conference workshop instructors and conference staff. It will be located on the first floor of the Richard Woodcock Education Center, just follow the signs once you enter the lobby. This exhibit will also be open to the public during the course of the conference.

Challenge Book: Interaction

You are invited to explore the theme of “Interaction” in book or box form for this year’s Challenge Book exhibit. Challenge Books will be displayed anonymously and artists revealed at Hospitality Night. Conference participants will judge the entries and, in addition to the approbation of your peers, you could win a prize!

BOOK-MINGLE

How many times have you gone to a book arts exhibit and wondered, “What’s on the next page?” or “Why did the creator decide to do that?”? Come to the Book-Mingle and satisfy your curiosity. Instructors and staff will be on hand to turn the pages (or let you do it yourself) and answer your questions during this informal gathering at the faculty/staff exhibit.

BiblioBingo

Part treasure hunt, part trivia quest, part bingo daubing, this game will put you in pursuit of information and people. Everyone will receive game sheets in their welcome bag and there will be prizes for finishing a row or column (or all!) of the spaces. You’ll complete a square by finding a specific person (like someone from Arizona or instructor whose name begins with D) or item (like an artist’s book with a blue cover or a tool made of wood) or vendor (like someone selling something purple or who traveled from out of state) or fill in a little-known fact.

Artists’ Fair

The Artists’ Fair will be open on Thursday and Friday evenings, and it is an opportunity for book artists to personally sell their fine crafts.