Artists' Book Competition: 2023-2024
The 2023-2024 panel of jurors:
- Meredith Cawley, Lecturer, Art Foundations, College of Visual Arts and Design, UNT
- Elizabeth Mott, Processing Archivist, UNT Special Collections
- Michael Bartels, President, Triangle Nonprofit Publishing
- Tom Sale, Executive Editor, Trilobite Press
Winner: In My World Are Many Windows
Artist: Sarah Abigail Rainey
Media: cardstock prints, laser-cut paper, book cloth, gold foil
In My World Are Many Windows is a visualization of an ongoing discourse with God. Through personal meditations, anthological musings, and minimal imagery, the work explores light as metaphor for God.
Second Place: Bless Your Heart
Artist: Kelly Waller
Media: batting, muslin, voile, acetone prints, satin, thread
Bless Your Heart uses layered archive photos from/about the Rose Festival, a white elite event used to celebrate the rose bush industry. It deals with double meanings, suburbia, and pageantry.
Honorable Mention: Movies that Made Me: Vol. 1
Artist: Alyssa Berry
Media: chipboard, cardstock, Bristol board
I have always been a big movie fan and still really enjoy collecting physical media, but there’s a special nostalgic feeling about VHS.
Honorable Mention: Self-Portrait in the Elevator
Artist: Karla Ramirez-Santin
Media: paper, chipboard, glue, foil-engraved paper
I’d find myself going into the elevator when I was stressed, and I realized it was a symbol for how I felt - forced to stay still while the world moved on around me and not being able to recognize my distorted reflection.
Honorable Mention: The Stoop
Artist: Jenkins McAlister
Media: laser cut elements
The Stoop is about life in a small space. It is about moving and change, but also making the most of the mundane and enjoying little things.
Honorable Mention: Case #XXXX
Artist: Chris Barcak
Media: fabric, paper, gouache, found objects
Case #XXXX combines my love for murder mysteries with my love for interactive books.
Honorable Mention: Insect Hotel
Artist: Denise Castaneda
Media: wood, chicken wire, parchment paper, handmade paper
Using reclaimed materials my book is nestled within and part of an insect hotel. It is intended to combine nature and art to create a sanctuary for all.
Honorable Mention (not pictured): Burned
Artist: Natalie Self
Media: mixed media
Burned is a critique on Christian religions and how they demonize and contort other religions.
Honorable Mention (not pictured): Diary of an Only Girl (mini journal)
Artist: Izzy Sneed
Media: scanned and printed imagery
Diary of an Only Girl (mini journal) is very autobiographical. This mini journal becomes a companion to my studio work but also stand alone in its stark retelling of my adolescent experiences as a girl.
