FOLD: Artists' Accordion Books

Charles Allis and Villa Terrace New Museum Hours of Operation

Wednesday through Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Thursdays 1:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Admission: $7 for adults, $5 for Seniors (62+), Military and Students with a valid ID, and FREE for Museum Members and Children 12 and under.

First Wednesday of the month free for Milwaukee County Residents

FOLD highlights a selection of accordion-fold books from the extensive collection of artists’ publications owned by Stephen Perkins (Madison, WI). The exhibition features renowned artists such as Jennifer Bartlett, Ginger Burrell, Christo, Robert Indiana, Niki de Saint Phalle, Kiki Smith, Buzz Spector, and Dennis Oppenheim, and explores the art of accordion books, also known as concertina, screenfold, leporello, oriental-fold, and zig-zag fold, as panoramic spaces for images and text as well as three-dimensional sculptural objects. Encompassing the 1970s up to the present moment, FOLD offers a survey of accordion books that explore the creative possibilities offered by this unique publishing medium. Curated by Annemarie Sawkins, PhD (Milwaukee, WI).

Exhibition Programming:

Talk/Walk: Expression Through Accordion Books with Max Yela

March 22nd, 2018 | 7:00 PM

UWM Special Collections librarian Max Yela will offer a presentation on the expressive qualities of the accordion-fold book through a hands-on demonstration of artists books from UWM's renowned book-arts collections, followed by a walk-though of selected works in the exhibition FOLD: Artists' Accordion Books.

Max Yela has been Head of the Special Collections Department at the UWM Libraries since 1994. Prior to this, he was the public services librarian for Special Collections at the University of Delaware, 1985-1994. He has also taught book arts concepts and practice, and the history of books and printing at UWM for the past fifteen years. Max's primary research uses media theory to investigate how artists use books as art media. In 2017 Max was honored for his many contributions to Wisconsin's visual arts community with a Wisconsin Visual Arts Achievement Award.

Thursday, March 22, 7:00pm at Villa Terrace. Free with museum admission.

Accordion Book Workshop with Karen Hanmer

April 7th, 2018 | 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Join experienced bookmaker Karen Hanmer for a hands-on bookmaking workshop at Villa Terrace in conjunction with our exhibition FOLD. Hanmer will teach several book forms including: accordion with wrapped covers, accordion with simple pop-ups, and accordion with pamphlets sewn in. 

Hanmer’s studio practice ranges from small editions of artists’ books to bookbinding instructional materials and one-of-a-kind design bindings. Her work is included in collections such as The Getty Museum, The Library of Congress, Yale University, and Graceland. She is winner of the Jury Prize for Binding in the 2009 Helen Warren DeGolyer American Bookbinding Competition and is one of only ten graduates of the American Academy of Bookbinding’s Fine Binding program. Hanmer is a leader in the book arts community, having served on the editorial board of The Bonefolder, as Exhibitions Chair for the Guild of Book Workers, and as frequent exhibition curator and juror. 

The workshop will be held on Saturday, April 7, 1:00-4:00pm at Villa Terrace. Please sign up here to reserve your spot! Fees are $45 general/$25 students and include basic materials. Students should bring along scissors, a pencil, and an eraser.