SCAD libraries hold artist’s book competition for students

Photo by Dane Sponberg
SCAD students submitted a variety of artists’ books to a juried competition held in conjunction with the SCAD-Atlanta symposium “Variant Hues: Art, Design and Teaching with Artists’ Books.”

By: Deborah Prosser

Published: Friday, March 7, 2008

This winter, the Savannah College of Art and Design libraries sponsored a juried student competition for artists’ books as part of “Variant Hues: Art, Design and Teaching with Artists’ Books,” an upcoming symposium at SCAD-Atlanta.

The competition was announced at the end of Fall 2007, and entries began arriving the first week of February from students in majors including graphic design, fashion, illustration, painting and interior design. Some faculty members also encouraged their students to create original artists’ books.

The competition, which closed March 3, was open to students from both the Atlanta and Savannah locations and resulted in more than 70 entries at press time. The entries show great creativity, beauty and interest, and the varied subjects and media reflect the diversity of contemporary book arts. True to the broad definition of artists’ books, many of the entries are sculptural and 3-D and challenge the traditional book format. Others incorporate various printing or illustration techniques.

Interior design student Margaret Hallinan’s book, “Savannah Scenery,” includes silverpoint drawings of city landmarks. Graduate painting student Pam Rogers incorporated floral watercolors into her entry, “Bound Up.” Tamara Garvey, an undergraduate illustration student, based her book, “Patricia Francini’s Killing Scissors,” on a film, and graphic design major Jeffrey Knight used his, “Sketching,” as a vehicle for displaying his design ideas.

The many exceptional books the library received evidence the talent and versatility of SCAD students and make choosing just three winners a challenge.

The juror for the competition, Berwyn Hung, is a noted book artist who published numerous artists’ books with Nexus, a fine-art press active in Atlanta until 2003. Hung will review the competition entries throughout the month, and winners will be announced at the symposium April 4. The top three winners will receive cash prizes, and their work will become part of the permanent artist’s book collection at SCAD-Atlanta. Other students who entered the competition will be invited to share their work and discuss their creative processes at a panel discussion during the symposium.

All the books entered in the competition are on display in the ACA Library of SCAD, 1600 Peachtree St., through April 11. Students, faculty and staff members are invited to visit the library and view the exhibition.

The juried student competition for artists’ books is a revival of a similar event held annually at the Atlanta College of Art. SCAD libraries plan to sponsor the symposium and competition each year. “Variant Hues” will take place in Atlanta April 3-4. It is free to the SCAD community, but anyone who wants to attend must register by March 15.


Prosser is head librarian of the ACA Library of SCAD.