A Program of Excellence
Founded in 1993 by Tini Miura, Einen Miura and Daniel Tucker, the American Academy of Bookbinding is an internationally known degree-oriented bookbinding and book conservation school that offers book enthusiasts of all levels the opportunity to initiate and improve their skills in a generous and supportive learning environment. The Academy conducts intensive courses in the fine art of leather binding, conservation and related subjects. The goal of the Academy is to graduate professional-level binders and book conservators who have the knowledge and skills to produce the highest quality work and the ability to pass on these skills to the next generation. The Academy is unique in the United States in its ability to offer a comprehensive diploma granting program in the study of bookbinding and book conservation, taught by some of the most experienced and highly regarded book artists and conservators in the world. Our main campus is in Telluride, Colorado, and in 2010 we started offering workshops in San Francisco and at the Lallier/Etherington studio in Summerfield, North Carolina.
There are many introductory classes offered and students may attend some classes with little or no experience. Some students pursue their studies further and enter a program that culminates with a diploma in Fine Binding or Book Conservation. Some students pursue both tracks of the curriculum. Your training and practice at the American Academy of Bookbinding will give you a strong foundation in bookbinding and conservation that will complement whatever path you choose to follow.
The American Academy of Bookbinding is a program of the Ah Haa School for the Arts.
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I am delighted that the book conservation program at the American Academy of Bookbinding is flourishing. With the newly remodeled Telluride facility and additional equipment, we have the capability to offer more diverse programs in both bookbinding and book conservation. We also look forward to expanding our faculty. With improvements to the Telluride studio, we would like to concentrate our energy on expanding our course offerings in Telluride and bringing more students to our main campus there. The facility is truly one of the best-equipped teaching facilities for bookbinding in the country, and with our administration based in Telluride, we are better able to oversee the program and take care of our students there. Monique Lallier and I will offer a few weeks of classes at our studio in Summerfield, North Carolina during the summer. It is difficult to offer summer classes in Telluride due to the resort economy there (and the lack of affordable student lodging), and these classes are an opportunity for those who cannot attend classes in the spring or fall in Telluride. We are also looking forward to traveling less! Please join us in Telluride or Summerfield as we continue to provide you with the highest level of instruction in Fine Binding and Book Conservation.
I am excited about the developments that we at AAB have put in place for 2013 to better serve current students of fine binding, as well as those we’ve yet to meet. We have concentrated on the development of a clearer and more extensive set of guidelines for our Diploma Program in Fine Binding. Students will now much more easily be able to plan their course schedules and will graduate with an even richer background than before. Though taking classes at AAB and working through the Diploma process will always be a highly individualized experience, it will now have a form that will help make that experience smoother and broader. What is most exciting about this development is that we are expanding the scope of our course offerings and instructors to accommodate the new guidelines. Peter Geraty will come to Telluride for the first time to offer a class on edge treatment. Peter is a gifted and thorough teacher who knows his stuff. Edge gilding will be made clear to students as well as other fine edge treatments. Gabrielle Fox will also make her first appearance at AAB with her course on miniature bookbinding. Gabrielle is a very well known bookbinding teacher whose passion is for the miniature. Her miniature bindings are collected and exhibited internationally. Pam Smith will be at AAB for the first time in the fall to offer a step by step tour through the magic of paper marbling. Pam’s long career as a teacher and marbler (as well as many other facets of book arts) will come together to help solve the mysteries while enhancing the excitement of this ancient art. Though not strictly a newcomer to Telluride, Daniel Kelm (last visit: 1993) will bring new energy and innovation to our course offerings. Daniel will show us how we as fine binders can use some of the beautiful leathers now produced for other purposes and thought to be almost unusable to us. An exciting prospect! Suzanne Moore will present a class on the use of letterforms as subject matter for design bindings. She will use her broad expertise in lettering arts and manuscript book making to guide the way to new design solutions through the exploration of familiar forms. As always, we are delighted Monique Lallier will continue to grace AAB with her tremendous mastery and lovely presence. I hope that you will share in my enthusiasm for the direction that AAB is moving. I invite you to read the class descriptions for 2013 and hope that you will join us.