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On 23 July, 2020, we visited Evanston-based artist Mardy Sears. She is a printmaker, ceramicist, and artist book maker.
It’s been a long, cold winter, but spring is finally here. We’ve been busy cooking up new ideas and new learning opportunities for the ABH community. We’re excited to welcome you back to 4207 W Irving Park Rd.
Our 2026 calendar is filling up. Keep an eye out for more information and links to register for the workshops, classes, and events listed below. We’ll also be announcing additional classes in the coming weeks.
Have you ever wanted to know how a hardcover book is constructed? Are you looking for the perfect sketchbook filled with your favorite paper? The Introduction to Bookbinding course will introduce students to bookbinding tools, materials, and terminology.
We are excited to announce that construction has begun on our roof, and will soon begin on our facade. If all goes well, work will be completed in mid-November. Because of this, ABH will be closed until early December. We will send an email out to everyone once work has been completed. Until then, check out our upcoming workshop, Paper Masks with Erin Cramer, which has been rescheduled for December 6th and 7th, 2025.
A Macabre Merriment Honoring the Edward Gorey’s Centennial and to benefit the building renovation of Artists Book House
Artists Book House (ABH), the literary and book arts nonprofit, will host a new feature on its website. ABH will be the new home of Goreyesque, an online literary journal featuring stories, poems, and artwork inspired by Edward Gorey. The journal, founded by ABH co-founder Ken Gerleve and Board member Todd Summar, is moving to ABH as part of a series of late 2025 celebrations and fundraising events honoring the work of Edward Gorey.
Artists Book House founder and former Board President, Audrey Niffenegger, will be exhibiting new work at Zolla Lieberman gallery from September 5 - October 11, 2025 with an opening reception on Friday, September 5th from 4 to 7pm.
Artists Book House Founder Audrey Niffenegger and Board President Ken Gerleve were recently featured in the Chicago Sun-Times!
Thank you to everyone who came to the March 29th poster sale and book signing with Amos Kennedy! It was a delight getting to host Amos and his work, and we are so excited that our first book sales and signing in our new building went so successfully.
Have you ever wanted to know how a hardcover book is constructed? Are you looking for the perfect sketchbook filled with your favorite paper? The Introduction to Bookbinding course will introduce students to bookbinding tools, materials, and terminology.
This course focuses on learning a variety of styles to create journals and sketchbooks that lay flat for multiple uses. Ideal for those who want to write, draw, use mixed media, or use the book format for collecting and gathering information. The course is intended for those with little to no experience in the book arts. It also presents an opportunity to explore content-building techniques, experiments with prompts and processes, and using other artists’ methodologies as inspiration.
Stab bindings are a useful and decorative non-adhesive binding technique that works well as ledgers and sketchbooks. Students will learn four traditional Japanese stab bindings and will be introduced to endless possibilities of patterns using this method. All materials and supplies provided, and no experience is necessary.
***Students may attend one or both classes. This listing is for both sessions.***
An introductory-level course for individuals with little to no experience making books, with an emphasis on using recycled and repurposed materials such as cardboard boxes, food packaging, and found objects. Participants will learn a variety of book techniques, including zines, pamphlets, accordions, and several spine-sewn books.
An introductory-level course for individuals with little to no experience making books, with an emphasis on using recycled and repurposed materials such as cardboard boxes, food packaging, and found objects. Participants will learn a variety of book techniques, including zines, pamphlets, accordions, and several spine-sewn books.
Ideal for sketchbooks and journals, the buttonhole stitch is a versatile and functional book for multiple uses. This non-adhesive bookbinding method allows for a continuous front-to-back cover format with multiple signatures. Participants will be introduced to a variety of methods for approaching the creation of this unique book using traditional and repurposed materials. No previous experience is necessary, and all materials and tools will be provided.
Regin Igloria, visual artist and founder and director of North Branch Projects (NBP), has been leading Community Binding workshops throughout the Chicagoland area (and beyond) since 2010. These monthly workshops introduce bookbinding skills and techniques to participants in a collaborative setting. Various binding techniques are covered, including variations on hand-sewn pamphlets and zines. Prompts are incorporated in the process to build content within the books, and instructional handouts and samples are shared, offering expanded resources to explore the medium beyond the work session.
An introductory-level course for individuals with little to no experience making books, with an emphasis on using recycled and repurposed materials such as cardboard boxes, food packaging, and found objects. Participants will learn a variety of book techniques, including zines, pamphlets, accordions, and several spine-sewn books.
