Garage Annex School - Opportunities

Since 1990 Garage Annex School has been offering high-quality weekend and week-long workshops. We are dedicated to the advancement of book arts eduction, with particular attention given to the field of hand bookbinding.

We are pleased to welcome two internationally-recognized book artists, Suzanne Moore and Don Glaister, as advisers to the school.

In September of 2006, we launched a new offering: our student-apprentice program, as we welcomed our first participant to the studio.

Student-apprentices engage in long term, in-depth study primarily with Daniel Kelm. Typical student-apprentices will study at GAS from September through May, for one or more years. However, within the scope of this program GAS also offers the possibility for students to come for shorter-term commitments, e.g., a four-month course of study focusing on a particular topic such as leather bookbinding.

To learn the art and craft of bookbinding one needs to develop a physical discipline through the repetitve process of hands-on practice, and an intellectual discipline through the study of the history and theory of bookbinding structures. The Garage Annex School makes this possible by providing a unique combination of book arts instruction and production experience.

GAS provides instruction that embraces the traditional forms of hand bookbinding while encouraging students to build upon that foundation by exploring innovative book structures. Our program is small and can be customized to meet the needs of our students. We welcome applicants who wish to develop as artists and designers as well as students who are more technique-oriented.

Students are encouraged to take workshops with our visiting instuctors providing exposure to a number of the field’s best artists and teachers.

GAS shares space with Kelm’s production studio, the Wide Awake Garage. Daniel and the mechanics (the crew) work on special commissions and editions of fine bindings and artist’s books.

Student-apprentices may, if they wish, observe real-world projects from start to finish: meetings with clients, design, prototype production, budget negotiation, production planning, ordering materials, etc. For student-apprentices planning to have their own business someday this is an invaluable opportunity.

Application will include self-evaluation, a proposal of personal objectives for the course, and the submission of a portfolio.

We seek applicants who are passionate about books and bookbinding. Previous experience will be taken into account, but someone lacking book experience who has good hand skills will be considered.

This is a tuition-based program. We hope to offer scholarship support as our program develops and attracts the help of donors interested in the future of fine bookbinding.

GAS has become a non-profit corporation, and has applied for 501(c)(3) status. This change will foster growth and facilitate the receipt of donations and grants to support and expand our programs.

If you are interested in any facet of the program—e.g., either as a student-apprentice or as a donor—please contact Daniel Kelm.

—Greta D. Sibley and Daniel Kelm

More about the Garage Annex School,
The Wide Awake Garage, and you…

If you would like expert help on your book project, you may arrange consultations with Daniel Kelm. The Wide-Awake Garage is Daniel Kelm’s commercial bindery. (The Garage Annex School shares Kelm’s studio space.) Artists and publishers often come to the Garage for a negotiated period of time in order to gain the support of our personnel and access to our facilities. A popular arrangement is to have two or three hours of consultation and instruction in the morning, then use the Garage facilities for the remainder of the day to work on production of your project. You may wish to do the entire production yourself, or if your time is limited you may want the help of our crew.

Another opportunity is internships. Daniel takes on a few interns from time to time. If you are interested, please contact Daniel.

Individuals or groups are invited to request instruction on general techniques, or techniques specific to the requirements of proposed projects.

We invite you to tell us what you are interested in studying, and with whom you would like to study.