Center for Book Arts promotes active explorations of artistic practices related to the book as an art object. We are committed to providing a nurturing environment for artists to grow and learn together, with access to the resources, equipment ,and skills needed for artists and writers to take book production into their own hands, and giving creative voices a tool to self amplify without the need to rely on the gallery model or commercial pressures.
As a space for research, education, exhibition, making, and community building, we offer opportunities to artists and writers through a variety of programs throughout the year. Current opportunities are listed below.
Are you a BIPOC writer or poet with an interest in book-making and publishing? Are you looking for support and guidance to take your creative projects to the next level? If so, we invite you to apply for our Small Press Incubator Program!
About the Program:
The Small Press Incubator Program is a unique opportunity for BIPOC individuals to learn and develop their skills in different aspects of the book-making system. Recognizing that the book arts have a long history of being used by marginalized artists looking for ways to showcase ideas without relying on the exclusive systems of conventional publication or gallery representation, the goal of this incubator is to provide a platform for poets to take their ideas for poetry publishing from abstraction to reality by providing participants with the skills, context, and community to start a small press. From conception to production and distribution, participants will receive support and guidance to bring their creative projects to fruition.
What We Offer:
Resources
Studio access and tools to support your creative journey; including a $2,000 stipend + a $1,000 materials budget
Orientation and Workshops:
During the first and third week of the program, there will be an orientation in CBA’s studios as well as 30 hours of workshops on Design, Riso Printing and Bookbinding.
Mentorship Program
The mentorship program will pair a professional from the industry with a participant to have personalized mentorship along the 8-week long period. In-person and online follow-ups will take place throughout the program. Each mentor will present a lecture in their area of expertise that all of the residents will attend.
End of program
A final public program where participants will present the outcomes of their projects with their publishing plans and prototypes.
Values of our program:
Inclusivity: This program is specifically designed for BIPOC writers, artists, and poets. All members of the BIPOC community are welcome and encouraged to apply.
Supportive Environment: We provide a nurturing and supportive environment where participants can grow and thrive.
Community Engagement: Participants will have the opportunity to engage with fellow participants and industry professionals through group discussions, workshops, and events.
Celebration of Culture: We celebrate the rich cultural heritage and artistic traditions of the BIPOC community, encouraging participants to draw inspiration from their cultural backgrounds.
Long-Term Goals: This program is not just a short-term opportunity but a stepping stone towards long-term success. We encourage participants to think about their goals beyond the program and how they envision their careers evolving in the future.
Who is this program for?
- This program is meant for BIPOC writers/poets interested in learning what it takes to create a long-term small publishing press.
- This program is for those who have a project connected to their community.
- This program is not meant for established publishing presses and is instead geared to those in the beginning stages of their small press activity.
- This program is meant for individuals only. Any collectives/groups would need to have a single representative for the program.
- This program is meant for anyone who is 18 and older.
- This program is for those who would be able to attend the Small Press Incubator program full-time in-person for eight weeks at Center for Book Arts. Please see dates below.
Timeline:
Open Call: 06/24/2024 - 08/18/2024
Information session: August 2nd, 2024, from 12:30PM to 1:00PM ET
Notified of acceptance: 9/20/2024
Start date of the Program: 10/21/2024
Final Presentation: 12/13/2024
How to Apply:
To apply for the Small Press Incubator Program, please submit the following materials:
- A brief statement of interest outlining why you are interested in participating in the program and what you hope to gain from it.
- Do you identify as a (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) BIPOC person? A participant’s self-declared identity at registration will be accepted at face value and there shall be no basis for, or tolerance of, a challenge to a participant’s self-declared identity.
- A brief bio or resume highlighting your background and connection to publishing
- Describe the small press that you would like to create. Please bear in mind the following; the feasibility of the project, the audience for this project, and the impact it would have in your community.
- What do you hope the life-span of this publishing project would be?
- Submit three publication ideas that you would potentially publish with your small press.
- Name three publishers that you admire and explain why.
- Would you be available to participate full-time in this eight-week in-person Small Press Incubator program from 10/21/24 - 12/13/24 at Center for Book Arts in New York?
Contact Us:
If you have any questions about the program or the application process, please contact Camilo Otero, Artist Programs Manager at camilo@centerforbookarts.org.
We look forward to receiving your applications!
With care,
Center for Book Arts
Center for Book Arts invites submissions to its annual Poetry Chapbook Program by December 20, 2024.
The winning manuscript will be determined in May 2025 by our guest Judge (TBC).
As part of the competition award package, CBA commissions artists to design and produce a limited-edition of 100 chapbooks for the competition winner's manuscript, a limited-edition of 100 chapbooks for a manuscript by the guest judge, and a limited-edition broadside of 100 for each runner-up featuring one poem from their respective manuscripts.
The competition winner receives ten copies of their chapbook, a $500 honorarium, a $500 stipend to participate in a competition reading public program, a week-long stay at Millay Arts during their Wintertide Rustic Retreat season (valued at $480), and one copy of the guest judge's chapbook as well as the runners-up's broadsides.
The two runners up each receive ten copies of their respective limited-edition broadside, a $250 honorarium to participate in the competition reading, and a copy of the winner’s chapbook as well as a copy of the guest judge’s chapbook.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Please submit a collection or sequence of original poems or a single long poem that does not exceed 450 lines or 21 pages. The author’s name should not appear anywhere in the manuscript or anywhere in the file as all submissions are kept anonymous to the panel of judges. Manuscripts should be typed, with pages numbered and formatted with easy-to-read font.
Translations of the author's own work are permitted. Translations of other writers' work will not be accepted unless the piece is specifically and consensually co-authored by both writer and translator.
This program only accepts text manuscripts. We are not receiving visual poems or illustrated manuscripts at this time.
Please provide a title page, table of contents, and a separate acknowledgments page containing prior magazine or anthology publication of individual poems at the end of the manuscript. Poems that have been published elsewhere are eligible for submission. Please note that the 450 lines or 21-page limit does not include the title or acknowledgements pages. The file name should match the title of the submitted manuscript. Only .PDF, .DOCX. and .DOC files accepted.
Writers will be notified of the status of their manuscript via email. Due to the high volume of applications, we are not able to provide feedback at this time.
Questions can be directed to CBA Artist Programs Manager Camilo Otero at camilo@centerforbookarts.org
Application Fee: $30
Application Fee Waiver: From October 1 - October 15, 2024
Application Deadline: December 20, 2024
SUBMISSION AGREEMENT
When you submit to our annual Chapbook Contest and/or publish with Center for Book Arts, you agree to:
1. Serial rights: we accept simultaneous submissions, but if your work is accepted elsewhere, we ask you to let us know as soon as possible so we can withdraw your application.
2. Rights reverting back to you if your body of work is accepted and published by CBA. You are free to republish or to give others permission to republish. We ask that if you do so, you use the credit as follows: [publication name] by [author] was first published with the Center for Book Arts in [year]. If you have any questions, do let us know!
3. Non-exclusive reprint rights: we may utilize parts of your work for promotional materials, for example, to market our next contest. If we intend on utilizing your work for something we intend to sell, you will be contacted about compensation before we move forward.
Center for Book Arts awards 4 to 6 residencies to early and mid-career artists. We welcome applications from those with little to no background in book arts as well as those who have demonstrated a commitment to book arts as a key component of their artistic practice. Successful applications should show a developed body of work and describe what the artist hopes to gain from access to the Center’s facilities. This residency is intended for the exploration of artist books and book arts to expand one’s artistic practice, rather than for finishing a preconceived project.
The purpose of this residency is to support both early and mid-career artists by providing workspace, access to new techniques and equipment, and to diversify the community of artists working within the book arts in the New York area. This year-long residency includes a cash stipend of $1500, tuition waiver for up to $6000 in courses offered at CBA during the residency period, and 24-hour access to CBA's printing and binding studios in Manhattan. Artists-in-Residence are expected to actively utilize the studios, regularly attend public programs at the Center, participate in quarterly BookTalks, and participate in a group exhibition following the residency. Residents are provided with opportunities to speak publicly about their work, to collaborate with artists and poets, and to hold studio visits with visiting curators and artists.
Because this residency is focused on artists living and working in the 5 boroughs of New York, housing is not provided. On average, Workspace Artists-in-Residence spend 20-40 hours per week in the studios. The residency is not able to support collectives or collaborations at this time. The residency will run from early January until the end of the 2025 year.
Please submit:
- Artist statement
- CV (3 pages max)
- 10 images of work samples
- Image List
Center for Book Arts' Internship Program is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of non-profit management with a focus in Book Arts. The Internship is an unpaid position, though it may be used for school credit, and can take classes in the duration of their internship.
The length of the internship varies, depending on the students' schedule and requirements, as well as The Center’s schedule of activities, but is usually anywhere from three to six months long. The applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, and will contact candidates directly if selected for an interviewed.
NOTE: internships may take place entirely online, unless otherwise indicated.
Interns have the opportunity to concentrate in the following departments:
Administration- Interns may develop their business and management abilities as they assist in the day-to-day operation of the organization.
Development- assist in researching grants, drafting proposals and reports, as well as developing membership drives and coordinating special fundraising events, including our annual Benefit.
Membership- assist in developing and evolving our membership program, as well as growing our constituent base, along with related administrative tasks.
Education Programs- assist with the scheduling, monitoring, and archiving of CBA's online classes. Interns will be trained on becoming an online class monitor to ensure the class runs smoothly, providing support to instructors and students.
Programs intern- assist with administrative and logistical tasks on a number of CBA's public programs, such as exhibitions, public programs, and literary events. Interns will assist with event planning and reporting, data entry, corresponding with artists, and other organizational tasks related to the upcoming programs. Programs interns will also have the opportunity to assist with curatorial and publication projects.
Library/Collections- Interns may be involved in cataloging The Center’s art collections and resource library, which consists of out-of-print periodicals, books, limited edition artists’ books, and technical books on the subjects of bookmaking and printing. Interns will assist with selecting works and drafting copy for social media posts.
Marketing & Design- Interns may assist in the research of the potential outlets and community partnerships for advancement of the Center's programs as well providing insight toward marketing plans and strategy in collaboration with the Marketing Manager. Interns will also update press and media lists as needed, and aid in the dissemination of communications materials on various social media outlets. Interns interested and trained in graphic design are welcome and highly encouraged to apply their design sense to the development of the Center’s brand.
Digital Media & Video- Interns will primarily assist in helping to edit and build out our growing Online Class Archive utilizing the Center’s digital media style guide. Additionally, interns may assist in technology support for our online programming and live streams as well as preparing the recorded event for YouTube upload. Must be well-versed in Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro.
Experience and/or study of studio art, organization and management, or public relations and an interest in the art of the book are all encouraged and not required. We encourage applicants from various disciplines and backgrounds to apply. Applicants should be able to commit at least one full day a week to the internship. Applicants will be selected on a rolling basis.
We are inviting curators to submit exhibition proposals for Center for Book Arts' Central Gallery. We are seeking proposals that elaborate, challenge and contribute to the artistic, theoretical, historical, and contemporary aspects of the book arts.
The selected curatorial projects will be given access to CBA's resources such as the archive and collection artworks, as well as administrative support leading up to the exhibition. The curator will be awarded a $2,000-5,000 honorarium (depending on funding and scope). CBA has a modest budget to support honoraria for public programs and an exhibition catalog. A floor-plan of the space can be seen here.
This exhibition series is intended to broaden public understanding of the book as an art object by building on the rich history of the book arts through new scholarship by providing the space and resources to support curators. Preference is given to proposals focussing on contemporary interpretations of the book as an art object, that challenge traditional notions of the book arts, or that build on the critical framework around the history of artist books. Exhibitions that feature a broad representation of artists and media, site-specific installations, and performances are encouraged.
We are especially interested in proposals for:
- Exhibitions that will further and/or challenge the discourse of book arts within a contemporary artistic criticism.
- Exhibitions that fill in gaps in the public’s understanding of the book arts by showing a wide range of artists.
- Focused exhibitions using the work of multiple artists to demonstrate a cohesive artistic trend or subject.
- 2024 is CBA’s 50th anniversary and therefore we welcome curatorial proposals that connect artists or ideas from CBA’s early history to contemporary practices of today.
All submissions must include:
- A 1000-word exhibition proposal indicating the visual and conceptual vision of the exhibition and public programs.
- Proposed list of works with the title, year, medium and dimensions, with thumbnail images of items to be exhibited uploaded as a PDF.
- 5-10 images of works to be included. (jpg format—minimum size of 800px and maximum of 1200px in either direction)
Round 1 Application Deadline (for exhibitions in 2027): November 30, 2024
We accept submissions on a rolling basis. The review process will take place each year in March. Applications are not to be edited once submitted.
Application questions should be addressed to camilo@centerforbookarts.org
Center for Book Arts is seeking proposals from artists and publishers working within the book arts for our Single Artist or Publisher Exhibition program.
Artists proposing solo projects should submit the following type of book arts projects created within the past 5 years:
- A recent body of work that demonstrates a cohesive artistic approach;
- A recent body of work that demonstrates a cohesive theme, issue, and/or subject matter;
- A site-specific installation;
- Or a collaborative project that is thematically or medium-specific.
Publishers proposing retrospective projects should submit the following:
- A representative sample of work that demonstrates the breadth of your publishing practice
CBA's curatorial staff reviews applications and selects proposals for the program. Selected artists are awarded a $1,000 stipend, installation & marketing support—including an exhibition brochure, and a public program.
Submissions should include:
- Contact form
- Short artist bio
- Artist CV (1-2 pages, pdf format)
- A 500-word solo project proposal indicating the visual and conceptual vision of the exhibition and public program.
- Up to 10 images of work samples supporting your proposal. If images are not available, please submit recent work samples produced within the last 2 years. Images should be uploaded in jpg format and should be a minimum of 800px and a maximum of 1200px in either direction.
- A list of works with the title, year, medium, and dimensions, with images of the works or illustrations.
Deadline for 2026 review: November 30, 2024
We accept submissions on a rolling basis. The review process will take place each year in March and notification is sent in April.
To review past Projects, see here.
Application questions should be addressed to camilo@centerforbookarts.org