SILENT AUCTION ARTIST - DESIGNED HANDMADE BOOKS AND PAINTINGS

by Nancy Norwalk, Director
Philip Read Memorial Library, Plainfield
(603) 675-6866
plfdlib@mvgalaxy.com

The Philip Read Memorial Library in Plainfield, N.H. has devised a unique project. Over 100 artists from the Upper Valley area, New England, New York City, and Florida have designed and painted covers from blankpaged books. Other artists have donated paintings and their own handmade books. These one-of-a-kind books will be sold at silent auction. This is the fifth time this event has been held. It was last held in 2004. Viewing and bidding will take place from Sunday, November 11th, through Saturday, November 17th, 2007 at the Plainfield Town Hall on Route 12A. Viewing times -

Sunday, November 11 ~ 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Monday, November 12 ~ 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 14 ~ 2:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Friday, November 16 ~ 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 17 ~ 2:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

There will be an artists' reception at the opening, November 11th from 1-4 p.m. On the final day, November 17th, final bidding will end promptly at 8:00 p.m.

The Friends of the Philip Read Memorial Library began this project by sending letters to artists in the Upper Valley and other areas asking them to design and decorate/paint a cover for books to be handmade. Over 100 artists agreed to donate individually designed covers. Others offered to donate complete books they had made and still others offered to donate paintings.

Library volunteers then purchased special art paper, cut it to size, and mailed the prepared covers to the artists. After the finished covers were returned, the volunteers inserted the blank pages, drilled holes through the spine, and laced the bindings.

The finished books are true works of functional art. One may put them on a shelf and admire them or one may use them for journals or scrapbooks. They could even be framed.

Some of the artists taking part are well known in the area: Carol Lummus, Brenda Phillips, Nancy Dean, Aya Itagaki, Ernest Montenegro, Larry Howard, and Gloria Kamen.

The quality and diversity of art from all the artists is superb. All types of media have been used: oil, acrylic, watercolor, collage, fabric, woodblock printing, wood, and photography, to name a few. Subjects of the covers are just as diversified: landscape, flowers, abstracts, figures.

This project will raise funds to finish the lower level of an addition to the Philip Read Memorial Library. Our previous fundraising efforts provided the funds to construct the addition and finish the main level. The library committee appreciates the support of the artists and volunteers. Previous auctions were held in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2004.

For further information, call Brenda Phillips, artist, at (603) 675-2757, or Nancy Norwalk, Library Director at (603) 675-6866, or e-mail Nancy at plfdlib@mvgalaxy.com.