The Minnesota Center for Book Arts Visual Journal Collective meets 12 times a year on the third Monday of the month, from 7 to 9 p.m. at MCBA. (See their website for directions.)
The Collective is part of the adult workshop and program offerings at MCBA. Meetings are free and open to any adult who is interested in keeping visual journals. All skill levels are encouraged from beginner to life-long journal keepers. See the bottom of this post for a list of meeting topics.
Roz Stendahl (rozjournalrat@gmail.com) and Suzanne Hughes (sznnhghs@gmail.com) are the volunteer coordinators for this group. Please email either of them with questions about the group or suggestions for future meetings.
Suzanne maintains a Yahoo-update list for the group. If you would like to be a member of this list please email a request to her. (Note: the usefulness of the Yahoo list is being evaluated at this time and may be phased out. There is a list for the MCBA Visual Journal Collective on Facebook which you are welcome to join. The main fuction of both these lists has always been to remind members of upcoming events and to announce last minute changes and rescheduling due to weather.)
As volunteer coordinators Roz and Suzanne also organize the meetings. We look to the membership's talent, expertise, and interests to provide topics for the meetings as well as volunteers for brief presentations. Past program examples include our annual portrait party (pairs sketch portraits of each other and the entire group creates an editioned photocopier book of the results for everyone); landscape drawing tips from a local landscape artist as a lead-in to summer vacation; State Fair sketching prep; four State Fair Sketch Outs; and the showing of book arts related films such as a biographical documentary on Peter Beard, and the documentary "1000 Journals Project."
The group also devises and executes collaborative projects such as an Altered Book Journal Round Robin, a journal card exchange, a journal zine project zine exchange and our 2011 Box of Journal Bits Exchange.
Meetings include discussion and sharing of current journal work. To read about past meetings and view photos and sketches from the meetings click on "MCBA" or "Visual Journal Collective" in the category cloud found in the left column of this blog. (You really need to check both categories because Roz didn't add the Visual Journal Collective category early enough to catch all the related entries—but those you'll find under MCBA.)
Suzanne often posts updates of meeting happenings on her blog. Please go to Suzanne I am to view her artwork and her updates on meetings.
We are an eclectic, curious, and welcoming adult group interested in sketching and observing our lives. Come and join in the fun.
Upcoming Meeting Topics for 2013
(Note some meeting topics may shift due to availability of speakers; check back here for more details.)
Please read the blurb for each meeting thoroughly to learn if there is any supply costs or any need to bring special items to a particular meeting. Most meetings are free with no supply costs. Please watch the regular blog postings for last minute changes to topic or speaker. Join the Yahoo list for updates as well, or the Facebook page.
MAY 20, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Favorite Tools and Media
Tonight everyone brings his or her 3 favorite tools (or media)—you'll share why you like a tool or media, as well as show a piece from your journal using the tool or medium you're discussing. We're even going to make a short video of people's selections so we have an on-going record of your preferences. Come and be inspired, and inspire other journal keepers!
JUNE 17, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Artist Trading Cards with a Visual Journaling Theme
Join us tonight when artist TJ Goerlitz will share her insights into ATCs and show samples from her collection. Then we will each create an artist trading card on the spot. We'll have collage materials and some other tools (you can bring your favorite pens and paints). We will then scan all the cards (so you only have to make one). After the meeting Roz will create digital pages using the cards (and text you provide) which can be downloaded and printed out by you to be made into a simple, elegant book that will provide a record of everyone's artwork. (Journaling and book making—too fun.)
JULY 15, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Summer Reading
Attend tonight with your three favorite art, art-how-to, or journal-related books. Be prepared to give a short statement about each book and bring samples of your journal art that show how the books inspired your work. Your comments will become part of our yearly recommended reading list.
AUGUST 19, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Meeting Topic To Be Announced.
AUGUST—Date and time to be announced: The FIFTH Annual Minnesota State Fair Sketch Out
Typically held on the first Saturday or the Tuesday of the Fair run this event involves getting to the Fair and sketching like mad, to meet up during and later with fellow sketchers—the better to enjoy the Fair Experience and the wonders of Minnesotans in large numbers eating things on sticks and otherwise behaving as only people can—fascinating. (And of course Roz loves sketching the animals.)
SEPTEMBER 16, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Film Night
Details are still in the works but join us to see a documentary or a how-to film. We'll know a couple months before the meeting which film we'll have access to. Either way you're going to want to mark your calendar for this fun and inspiring evening.
OCTOBER 21, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Monoprinting with the Gelli Arts Gel Plate
Twin Cities artist Briana Goetzen will be on hand to demonstrate the great fun that can be had printing with this printing plate. (So easy you can do it at home without a lot of fuss or space.) After her presentation attendees will have a chance to pull their own test print. More details to come. (We'll of course share journals at the end of the presentation, so we can keep current on what everyone is up to.)
NOVEMBER 18, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Meeting Topic To Be Announced.
DECEMBER 16, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The Not-So-Blank Page
Whether or not you participated in the nine-month long collaborative project—Our custom Smash journals "The Not-So-Blank-Page-Project"—you are cordially invited to meet with us tonight for a fun "simultaneous" viewing of all the pages. We'll see what a page was like originally and then we'll see what each member of the project did to that page. It will be a fun evening with surprises! End the year by being inspired by creative responses to the not so blank page. You'll be all set to jump into your 2014 journal.
Note: If you have a topic or know a presenter, please submit the information using the PDF available on the Yahoo List, or write to rozjournalrat@gmail.com for a form to fill out.
View Information about Past Meetings
If you would like to see what we've done at past meetings go to the category cloud in the left column of the blog and click on "Visual Journal Collective" or "MCBA." Posts will come up that announce the meeting (typically with samples of the speaker's work) along with posts that provide a wrap up of what was presented (typically with more samples and also photos of the members enjoying themselves!). Come and join in the fun.
If you would like to be invited to the Yahoo list for this group (to receive updates on meetings and details about on-going projects) please send your email address to sznnhghs@gmail.com with the request. The list is pretty quiet so you won't be receiving a lot of emails each day—maybe only a couple each month. But through it you'll also find out how the traveling projects are going and any special events like group paper purchases. You can also join the group's Facebook page to learn of any last minute meeting changes due to weather.
