''Umbrella'' was an art

newsletter A newsletter is a printed or electronic report containing news concerning the activities of a business or an organization that is sent to its members, customers, employees or other subscribers. Newsletters generally contain one main topic of int ...

or informal

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

that ran for three decades, from 1978 to 2008. Its focus was on

artist's books Artists' books (or book arts or book objects) are works of art that utilize the form of the book. They are often published in small editions, though they are sometimes produced as one-of-a-kind objects. Overview Artists' books have employed a ...

and related media, and it has been credited as an important factor in the emergence and visibility of artist's books from Southern California.

History

''Umbrella'' was founded by curator Judith Hoffberg in 1978, and she remained its

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

for the duration of its existence. Appearing irregularly, between 2 and 6 times a year, ''Umbrella'' focused on

and related printed matter such as mail art,

Xerox art Xerox art (sometimes, more generically, called copy art, electrostatic art, scanography or xerography) is an art form that began in the 1960s. Prints are created by putting objects on the glass, or platen, of a copying machine and by pressing "st ...

, and photobooks. Hoffberg had a particular interest in

Fluxus Fluxus was an international, interdisciplinary community of artists, composers, designers and poets during the 1960s and 1970s who engaged in experimental art performances which emphasized the artistic process over the finished product. Fluxus ...

art and artist's books that took a semi-sculptural form. The newsletter regularly featured profiles of artists, exhibition reviews, book reviews, and general news about the art world. During the spring of 1996 there was a retrospective of all Umbrella newsletters (1978-1996) in

Guy Bleus Guy Bleus (born October 23, 1950) is a Belgian artist, archivist and writer. He is associated with olfactory art, visual poetry, performance art and the mail art movement. His work covers different areas, including administration (which he cal ...

' ''E-Mail Art Archives'' in the provincial Centre for Arts (now

Art Museum Z33 Z33 is an art institution in Hasselt that connects art, design and architecture with social themes. Z33 presents itself as an art centre and not as a museum. In fact, the house initiates, produces and displays temporary exhibitions, without a per ...

) in

Hasselt Hasselt (, , ; la, Hasseletum, Hasselatum) is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital and largest city of the province of Limburg in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is known for its former branding as "the city of taste", as well as its ...

, Belgium.Marc Van den Bossche, ''Pêle-Mêle: Guy Bleus® - 42.292'', cultuurcentrum Hasselt, 2010, p.132. ''Umbrella'' was published in black-and-white until 2002, after which its covers were in color. It ceased print publication in 2005, after which it had an online edition until 2008. The journal ended publication altogether when Hoffberg fell ill in 2008; she died the following year. The entire print run of the magazine has been digitized by the Herron School of Art and Design and is available free online.

References

External links

Complete online archive of ''Umbrella'' (1978-2008)
Visual arts magazines published in the United States Online magazines published in the United States Defunct magazines published in the United States Irregularly published magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1978 Magazines disestablished in 2005 Online magazines with defunct print editions Magazines published in California Newsletters {{art-mag-stub