Houston Book Arts Guild (HBAG)
The Houston Book Arts Guild (HBAG) is a community of Houston-area artists whose work involves paper and book structures. Members meet on the first Thursday of every month at The Printing Museum to share recent projects and lead hands-on workshops.
Since its founding in 2005, HBAG has been closely tied with the The Printing Museum. In 2006, HBAG hosted its first summer workshop series at the museum. Students learned papermaking, printmaking, and bookmaking and then left with a completed book by the end of a single week. The “Summer Book Arts Studio” became an annual series and had an enthusiastic following until 2016 when The Printing Museum closed due to a fire and then closed shortly thereafter due to the pandemic.
With the reopening of The Printing Museum on San Jacinto, HBAG is eager and hopeful to foster a vibrant community of book artists. HBAG’s community reflects a wide range of interests including calligraphy, weaving, watercolor, paper making, to fine bookbinding, and its members span the greater Houston area from Cypress, The Woodlands, Katy, and Galveston.
To learn more, please visit the HBAG Facebook Group.
Exhibiting artists Missy Bosch, Janet Reynolds, Lee Steiner, and Lynn Williams have all served as President of the Houston Book Arts Guild.
Missy Bosch
Missy Bosch, Untitled, 2018, Upcycled books and paper, 4 x 6 x 3/4 inches. Photography courtesy of Erica Reed Lee.
Missy Bosch earned her BFA in Sculpture from the University of Houston with a personal focus on found object collage and assemblage. Her fascination with ephemera led to her interest in book arts and box making, including creating a hand-made book that is on permanent exhibition at the UH Library’s Special Collections Rare Books Collection. Missy is an active member of the Houston Book Arts Guild and produces tools to aid other bookbinders.
Follow her on Instagram or learn more about her work on her website: www.missyboschstudio.com
Janet Reynolds
Janet Reynolds is a visual artist/teacher and taught art to students in Texas for fifteen years. She is an adjunct professor at the University Of Houston Clear Lake and regularly teaches book art courses. She enjoys learning new ways to make accordion books, hand stitched books, and experimenting with other forms of sculptural bookmaking.
Janet Reynolds, Security Circles, 2022, Circular accordion book, 1 1/4 x 1 1/4 inches x 4 feet 10 inches. Photography courtesy of the Artist.
Follow Reynolds on Instagram or learn more about her work on her website: www.janetmreynolds.com
Lee Steiner
Lee Steiner, owner of Domestic Papers, is a longtime teacher and community organizer for book arts in Houston. She organized The Printing Museum’s Book Studio Summer Series, led Houston Books Arts Guild (HBAG) for many years, and introduced bookbinding techniques to artists like Keliy Anderson-Staley.
Lee Steiner, Today in Ancient History, 2017, Scrap lumber, salvaged gold-leafed picture framing fillet, discarded history textbook, coptic binding, 4 x 8 x 1 1/2 deep inches. Photography courtesy of the Artist.
Lee Steiner, Illinois Winter, 1946, 2021, Discarded hardcover book, vintage photograph, hemp cord, tacket binding, 6 x 4 1/4 x 7/8 inches. Photography courtesy of the Artist.
Lynn Williams
Co-president of Houston Book Arts Guild (HBAG) 2020-2023, Lynn Williams has been making books for 12 years. She takes inspiration from her father who was also a bookbinder. While her primary art practice is centered around textiles, she enjoys combining the two practices.
Lynn Williams, Casebound Book, 2022, Leather, hand-marbled paper, 6 5/8 x 8 7/8 inches. Photography courtesy of Jen Bootwala.
Lynn Williams, Embroidered Binding, 2020-21, Hand embroidered cotton thread, hand-sewn silk endbands, 4 1/2 x 6 inches. Photography courtesy of Jen Bootwala.
Lynn Williams, Chinese Thread Book, 2017, Lokta paper and mulberry papers, 6 1/3 x 6 5/8 inches. Photography courtesy of the Artist.
Follow Williams on Instagram or learn more about her work on her website: https://lynnwilliamsart.com.