Kalamazoo Book Arts Center

Kalamazoo Book Arts Center Papermaking, printmaking, letterpress and bookbinding studios, art gallery, and retail store.

The Kalamazoo Book Arts Center is a community organization that produces books and related products; holds art exhibitions, poetry readings and other events; and promotes book arts through workshops and community educational programs.

Interested in adding text or poetry into your art? Poetry for Artists with Ann Marie Thornburg is a 3-part online worksh...
06/04/2026

Interested in adding text or poetry into your art? Poetry for Artists with Ann Marie Thornburg is a 3-part online workshop meeting July 8, 15 & 22 (-you can do this anywhere!) that will equip you as you consider language and the visual components, and the most effective integration of them!

Images: detail from a KBAC-produced broadside featuring a poem by Khaled Mattawa, with a linocut image by Steph Rosche; and "Nesting", a 2026 Illustrated Accordion entry by Tina Egnoski.

Register at the link in the comments below!

06/02/2026

Two spots are left for the June 13/14 Modern Marbling weekend at KBAC! Registration will close on Monday - don't miss out!

Video shows a participant using their newly acquired skills! 🤩 Register at link in the comments below.

Try the fun technique of paste painting to create layered and textured art paper designs with a million uses! These uniq...
06/01/2026

Try the fun technique of paste painting to create layered and textured art paper designs with a million uses! These unique papers can be integrated into all sorts of art projects, including collage, books, note cards, and other paper arts.

This two-part class is being offered online on July 12 & 19, so you can experiment in the cozy confines of your own home (indoor or outdoors, if that's your preference!) and give you time to continue experimenting with the technique on your own between classes! A supply list and prep instructions will be sent prior to the first day of the workshop.

Our instructor, Cristina Hajosy is a mixed media artist, art educator, and designer based in Greater Boston who has exhibited in our Illustrated Accordion exhibitions. Register at the link in the comments below!
Try the fun technique of paste painting to create layered and textured art paper designs with a million uses! These unique papers can be integrated into all sorts of art projects, including collage, books, note cards, and other paper arts. This two-part class is being offered online on July 12 & 19, so you can experiment in the cozy confines of your own home (indoor or outdoors, if that's your preference!) and give you time to continue experiemnting on your own between classes! A supply list and prep instructions will be sent prior to the first day of the workshop.

Today, we had the privilege of visiting the Fondazione Fedrigoni Fabriano, situated in the historic Cartiere Miliani Fab...
05/29/2026

Today, we had the privilege of visiting the Fondazione Fedrigoni Fabriano, situated in the historic Cartiere Miliani Fabriano paper-mill, where paper has been produced for the past eight centuries. This site is typically closed to the public, but we were granted a private tour of the archives and warehouse. Fabriano holds significant importance in the history of papermaking, notable for introducing three key innovations: the first use of animal glue sizing to preserve paper, the invention of the multiple hammer pulp be**er to expedite production, and the introduction of watermarks, the transparent images embedded in paper that become visible when held to light. We observed exquisite paper watermarks, learned about their production process, and viewed historic equipment from early hand papermaking to industrial machines for mass production. The students are currently engaged in sewing watermarks, making this visit a timely and valuable introduction. Sandro Tiberi Gilvana Maria

05/28/2026

Moving on to large sheets. When this paper is pressed and dried we will tear in into quarters and carry it to Tipoteca Italiana to print our letterpress book.

05/28/2026

The 2026 Book Arts in Italy has begun. We arrived in Fabriano yesterday and this morning the students are making their first sheets of paper.

We completed the final step in our Make-a-Book-from-Scratch program with El Sol 2nd graders today. Students visited KBAC...
05/26/2026

We completed the final step in our Make-a-Book-from-Scratch program with El Sol 2nd graders today. Students visited KBAC a few weeks ago to create handmade paper to cover their books of Nature poetry, and prints for the pages. We then printed the title on the covers in our studio and brought it all to their classrooms today to bind their own books! 🤩
Public Schools

We will be closed for Memorial Day. Please come by and see us Tues-Fri this week, 10 am-5 pm!
05/25/2026

We will be closed for Memorial Day.
Please come by and see us Tues-Fri this week, 10 am-5 pm!

Thank you Combat Ready Art for the emergency repair! Our visiting artist Kathy Pfeiffer was half way through printing h...
05/22/2026

Thank you Combat Ready Art for the emergency repair! Our visiting artist Kathy Pfeiffer was half way through printing her chapbook during a week long residency at the KBAC when we heard a dreadful THUNK. Part of the printing press had vibrated loose and was bent out of shape by the press passing over it. After extracting the smashed part we were lucky enough be able to visit Jutta at Combat Ready Arts to have piece re-shaped! After putting the press back together Kathy was able to finish all her printing without further incident!

The KBAC is so lucky to be in the Park Trades Center, a building full of artists studios and creative people where emergency collaborations can happen!

More to come on Kathy's project!

05/21/2026

It's time to start scheduling for Fall 2026 (and even Winter/Spring 2027!)
Are you a teaching artist with an offering related to Book and Paper Arts?
👉 collage, gelli printing, other surface techniques; pop-up or other folded paper techniques; printmaking; handmade paper techniques or projects; letter arts; creative writing; unique bookbinding techniques; other creative workshop ideas? 👈

Our in-person classrooms in the Park Tades Center and virtual "classrooms" are waiting for you! Proposals for Fall must be received by July 1, and proposals for our Winter/Spring semester (beginning mid-January) must be received by October 1.

All the details, instructor pay scale, etc., can be found at the link in the comments below!

Address

326 W Kalamazoo Avenue, Ste. 103A
Kalamazoo, MI
49007

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+12693734938

Website

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