[photo credit: ArtCenter College of Design]
The fair, hosted at ArtCenter’s South Campus in Pasadena, will showcase hundreds of exhibitors featuring niche publications, artists’ books, zines and rare editions from around the world.
“This beloved, art-filled fair brings together niche publications, eclectic zines, rare books, and collectives from around the world,” ArtCenter said on the event webpage. “Visitors can explore site-specific collaborations, performances, and installations inspired by ArtCenter’s unique spaces – including our supersonic wind tunnel.”
The three-day event aims to spotlight the diverse landscape of independent art publishing while creating connections between publishers, artists and the public. Attendees will have opportunities to discover limited-edition publications, meet creators and participate in programming designed to foster community engagement around art books.
Key features include pop-up installations, live performances and an extensive exhibitor area representing the international art publishing community. The fair primarily targets artists, designers, collectors, students and art enthusiasts interested in independent publishing and print culture.
Among the scheduled programming is a May 17 panel titled “Contents Laid Bare (The Ins and Outs of Artist Self-Publishing)” featuring ArtCenter alumni Devin Troy Strother and Kristofferson San Pablo discussing how they balance self-publishing with their artistic practices.
Additional programming is still being finalized, according to organizers.
The organizer, Printed Matter, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to the dissemination, understanding and appreciation of artists’ books. Founded in 1976 in Tribeca by a group of individuals working in the arts (among them artist Sol LeWitt and critic Lucy Lippard), Printed Matter was developed in response to the growing interest in publications made by artists.
Starting in the early 60s, many of the pioneering conceptual artists (as well as performance, process, environment, sound and other experimental media artists) began to explore the possibilities of the book form as an artistic medium. Printed Matter provided a space that championed artists’ books as complex and meaningful artworks, helping bring broader visibility to a medium that was not widely embraced at the time.
The LA Art Book Fair provides benefits for multiple stakeholders: emerging artists gain exposure, collectors discover rare editions, students learn about publishing processes, and the general public experiences art in accessible printed forms.
For more information, visit https://www.artcenter.edu/
ArtCenter’s South Campus is at 1111 S. Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena.
