MTSU Book and Printing Arts and History

We have a number of book arts classes on offer for next semester. Kathleen O’Connell will be offering classes on Letterpress (ART 3770) and Book Arts (ART 3550 and ART 4110).

ART 3770 Print Media: Letterpress (Tuesday and Thursday at 11:25 AM-2:25 PM)

ART 3770 Print Media: Letterpress is taught by Kathleen O’Connell and is an introduction to typesetting and printing. Students explore this media with a focus on craft and materials. During the course, students learn to operate a cylinder press; print using a broad range of printing techniques (historical to contemporary); identify the elements of typesetting; and to clearly understand how to utilize them in both old and new technologies.

ART 3550 Print Media: Book Arts (Tuesday and Thursday at 8:00-11:00 AM)

ART 3550 Print Media: Book Arts is taught by Kathleen O’Connell and is an introduction to books made or manipulated by artists and works of art that use the language of the book. This introduction to book arts includes the physical and theoretical aspects of bookbinding, simple image-making techniques, surface design and using paper as a creative medium. Concepts are covered using hands-on demos, creative exercises, examples, readings, research and library visits. Students will explore book arts with a focus on concept, material(s) and craft. 

ART 4110 Topics in Book Arts (Monday and Wednesday at 11:00 AM-2:00 PM)

Topics in Book Arts is a course designed to investigate special topics in the field of Book Arts that are not covered in the regular Book Arts course. Concepts are covered using hands-on demos, creative exercises, examples, readings, research and library visits. Students investigate book arts with a focus on concept, material(s) and craft. 

The focus of the Spring 2023 presentation of the course is relief printmaking and handmade paper, with a special emphasis on surface design. Students will learn how to hand-cut and print relief printmaking blocks. Students will learn to process handmade paper from beating fibers to forming sheets using a mould and deckle. Experimentation with combining relief printing, papermaking and surface design will be covered.