The book began its journey across the United States in Lakewood, Ohio with the creator of the project
Gretchen Miller in January 2008, and will return to Miller in October. Like its predecessor, the book will be
auctioned off with the proceeds benefiting BATA's Legislative Fund that works for title protection for Ohio art
therapists.
Kyata's own Ann Brabec-Church signed on to the current project for multiple reasons. Brabec-Church hasn't
done any altered art before, and said via email " I am drawn to this type of work and have several ideas floating
in my head that are waiting to be born." She described wanting to participate in this particular project , "I love
being a part of the community art making process. Collaborative art work is inspiring. I find it to be an
exciting experience."
While journals and sketchbooks are common among artists, the popularity of altered books has spiked with a
recent spurt of how-to books about the topic. While these recent books have increased awareness of altered
books, the roots of altered books extend back to the Dada art movement. Altered books that travel are
considered mail art or correspondence art. Mail art is art that is distributed (without charge to the recipient)
using the postal service verses more the current conventional channel of art distribution, the art gallery.
An altered book is a book that is repurposed via art media and made into a work of art. Typically, pages are
embellished with some combination of markers, paint, stamping or collage. Pages can also be glued together to
provide a more sturdy ground for use with acrylics or other fluid media. This repurposing may completely
obliterate the text or incorporate the book's original text and illustrations into the new design. Usually older
books that are not valuable as collector's items are used for this process.
Miller, who currently serves as the Buckeye Art Therapy Association President, facilitated a similar altered
book project with BATA members in 2007. The BATA Altered Book Project began with a project involving
ten BATA members and Symposium keynote speaker Lani Gerity in 2007. Miller said, "the initial goal of the
2007 BATA Altered Book Project was to provide our members with an opportunity to participate in a
collaborative art-making event that was inspired by our 2007 Symposium theme, Altered Art: Art as Therapy
for Restoration and Renewal. I was interested in finding more ways for art therapists in Ohio to make art
together and this seemed to fit perfectly!" Gretchen Miller conceived of the idea and later presented findings
with colleagues and project participants Denise Cooper and Chris Drosdick about the project and the book
itself at the 2007 BATA symposium. Milled was "delighted (with) how many of the participants commented to
me how they felt a special connection with others working on the book and that it promoted a feeling of
community-even though many who had signed up to participate had never met each other." Like its
predecessor, the 2008 book will be auctioned off with the proceeds benefiting BATA's Legislative Fund that
works for title protection for Ohio art therapists.
Gretchen Miller in January 2008, and will return to Miller in October. Like its predecessor, the book will be
auctioned off with the proceeds benefiting BATA's Legislative Fund that works for title protection for Ohio art
therapists.
Kyata's own Ann Brabec-Church signed on to the current project for multiple reasons. Brabec-Church hasn't
done any altered art before, and said via email " I am drawn to this type of work and have several ideas floating
in my head that are waiting to be born." She described wanting to participate in this particular project , "I love
being a part of the community art making process. Collaborative art work is inspiring. I find it to be an
exciting experience."
While journals and sketchbooks are common among artists, the popularity of altered books has spiked with a
recent spurt of how-to books about the topic. While these recent books have increased awareness of altered
books, the roots of altered books extend back to the Dada art movement. Altered books that travel are
considered mail art or correspondence art. Mail art is art that is distributed (without charge to the recipient)
using the postal service verses more the current conventional channel of art distribution, the art gallery.
An altered book is a book that is repurposed via art media and made into a work of art. Typically, pages are
embellished with some combination of markers, paint, stamping or collage. Pages can also be glued together to
provide a more sturdy ground for use with acrylics or other fluid media. This repurposing may completely
obliterate the text or incorporate the book's original text and illustrations into the new design. Usually older
books that are not valuable as collector's items are used for this process.
Miller, who currently serves as the Buckeye Art Therapy Association President, facilitated a similar altered
book project with BATA members in 2007. The BATA Altered Book Project began with a project involving
ten BATA members and Symposium keynote speaker Lani Gerity in 2007. Miller said, "the initial goal of the
2007 BATA Altered Book Project was to provide our members with an opportunity to participate in a
collaborative art-making event that was inspired by our 2007 Symposium theme, Altered Art: Art as Therapy
for Restoration and Renewal. I was interested in finding more ways for art therapists in Ohio to make art
together and this seemed to fit perfectly!" Gretchen Miller conceived of the idea and later presented findings
with colleagues and project participants Denise Cooper and Chris Drosdick about the project and the book
itself at the 2007 BATA symposium. Milled was "delighted (with) how many of the participants commented to
me how they felt a special connection with others working on the book and that it promoted a feeling of
community-even though many who had signed up to participate had never met each other." Like its
predecessor, the 2008 book will be auctioned off with the proceeds benefiting BATA's Legislative Fund that
works for title protection for Ohio art therapists.
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