Women's Studio Workshop (WSW) is a nonprofit visual arts studio and

private press Private press publishing, with respect to books, is an endeavor performed by craft-based expert or aspiring artisans, either amateur or professional, who, among other things, print and build books, typically by hand, with emphasis on design, gra ...

offering residencies and educational workshops, located in

Rosendale, New York Rosendale is a town in the center of Ulster County, New York, United States. It once contained a village Rosendale, primarily centered around Main Street, but which was dissolved through vote in 1977. The population was 5,782 at the 2020 census. ...

. The workshop was founded in 1974 by Ann Kalmbach, Tatana Kellner, Anita Wetzel, and Barbara Leoff Burge as an alternative space for female artists to create new work, gain artistic experience, and develop new skills. The studio operates throughout the year with artist residencies, gallery exhibitions, artist lectures, and diverse educational programs for children and adults. In addition, they operate a Summer Art Institute which includes options to study abroad. The studio supports projects in a wide range of media types, with a focus on

book arts Book arts may refer to: * Artist's books, works of art in the form of a book * Book illustration, illustration in a book * Book design, the art of designing a book * Bookbinding Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book of ...

papermaking Papermaking is the manufacture of paper and cardboard, which are used widely for printing, writing, and packaging, among many other purposes. Today almost all paper is made using industrial machinery, while handmade paper survives as a speciali ...

, and printmaking methods:

screen printing Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mes ...

letterpress Letterpress printing is a technique of relief printing. Using a printing press, the process allows many copies to be produced by repeated direct impression of an inked, raised surface against sheets or a continuous roll of paper. A worker comp ...

etching Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...

, intaglio. The workshop is represented in book arts and special collections of notable libraries, such as the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

, the

National Museum of Women in the Arts The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), located in Washington, D.C., is "the first museum in the world solely dedicated" to championing women through the arts. NMWA was incorporated in 1981 by Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay. Since openin ...

, the Dexter Library,

Maryland Institute College of Art The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is a private art and design college in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1826 as the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, making it one of the oldest art colleges in the U ...

, and James Branch Cabell Library,

Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virgini ...

. Editions by visiting artists published by the Women's Studio Workshop have been featured in overview exhibitions and symposiums on contemporary book arts such as the Codex Book Fair and Symposium, and the Pyramid Atlantic Book Arts Fair.

The Artists' Book Collection

The artists' books produced at the studio cover a range of topics from the political to the personal. The books come in a variety of forms, ranging from interactive puzzles that must be assembled to accordion folded books to books made with a variety of mixed media.

The Artists' Book Collection

References

Further reading