Madelon Powers Gallery to Present “Inspired by Women: Bookmaking as Conversation”

Madelon Powers Gallery Book making

Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on January 18, 2024, No Comments

East Stroudsburg University’s Madelon Powers Gallery will present Inspired by Women: Bookmaking as Conversation, an exhibit that encompasses artistic exchanges in over 30 book structures inspired by women who are artists. The exhibition will run Wednesday, January 24 – Friday, March 1.

Hours for the gallery, located in the university’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, Normal and Marguerite Streets, are Monday – Friday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

A reception for the artists will be held Wednesday, January 24, from 4-6 p.m. The exhibit, reception, and workshops are open to the public at no cost.

Enter the book, Inspired by Women and penetrate the heart and mind of Patricia Pinciotti, Ed.D. and the women who activated these conversations. “Bookmaking is a way I communicate with people in my world,” said Dr. Pinciotti, a retired professor from ESU in elementary and early childhood education. “During the pandemic, my bookmaking focus shifted from helping others find their artistic voice to cultivating my own. I advanced my bookmaking skills working with women on collaborative book projects, in dialogue with women about art and creativity, and in classes about and led by women from around the world. Surrounded by art made by women, stories and shared feelings emerged through my bookmaking process. This exhibit is a tribute to that process and deep gratitude for the women in my life.”

The gallery exhibit also incorporates two large scale book projects done with Paula Kelberman along with works from Pinciotti’s inspired collection.

Guests can make books in the “Inspire and Create” space found in the gallery. Dr. Pinciotti will offer the following free bookmaking workshops, open to the public on the gallery mezzanine.

  • The Power or Paper – Thursday, February 8 from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.: This bookmaking beginner workshop offers basic folding skills for students using one piece of paper. Books with four, six, eight, twelve and sixteen pages can be easily made for a variety of purposes. She will also explore ways to embellish the pages using color and collage.
  • Bookmaking Inspired – Tuesday, February 13 from 2-4 p.m.: What could inspire your bookmaking? A song, poem, adventure, a special someone, or work of art? Basic and extended bookmaking techniques will be used along with some interesting ways to use paint, paper, and calligraphy as a response.
  • Mark-making in Stitches – Thursday, February 28 from 5-8 p.m.: How can you capture your unique mark-making in a book? Using meditative lines and visual marking, turn these pages into a composition that includes stitching to highlight your mark-making imagery and create various book structures.

For more information about the exhibition, reception, or presentation, email kdevine5@esu.edu or call (570) 422-3694.