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CBAA 2027 Juried Members Exhibition
CBAA National Conference, June 10–12, 2027
Baylor University, Waco, Texas
Hulse Gallery / ART Center Waco
BOOK AS CATALYST: From Object to Impact
Call for Work:
CBAA invites members to submit work for the 2027 Juried Members Exhibition, held in conjunction with the national conference, Book as Catalyst: From Object to Impact.
Books have the capacity to do more than hold information or exist as objects. They can initiate conversations, preserve histories, build communities, challenge conventions, and create connections across disciplines. This exhibition invites artists to consider the book not only as a physical object, but as a catalyst for ideas, experiences, and exchange.
We welcome a broad range of approaches to book art, from traditional and experimental structures to works that move beyond the conventional form of the book. Submissions might explore:
- Books as tools for dialogue, storytelling, and social engagement
- Works that activate archives, histories, memory, or collective knowledge
- Collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to bookmaking
- Experimental structures, materials, and processes that expand the possibilities of the book
- Books that engage audiences through interaction, participation, or performance
- Works that explore the relationship between the book, its audience, and the world beyond the page
- Hand-crafted book works (editioned or unique) which have been made within the last 3 years
These are suggested areas of exploration rather than requirements. We encourage members to submit work that reflects the breadth of contemporary book art practice and offers new perspectives on what a book can be and do.
Eligibility:
Submissions by CBAA members are welcomed in any medium, any style. Work submitted must have been made within the past 3 years in order to be considered. Preference will be given to work under 24” height and 24” in width. Broadside, print and wall hung work must be unframed and ready to hang. Performance and/or installation art will also be considered. The jury and exhibition committee reserve the right to decline work based on the venue’s ability to host the work due to limitations of space and/or technology. This exhibit is open to book arts related artworks created as either an edition or one-of-a-kind.
Prizes & Awards:
- CBAA Member awards
- Baylor Libraries Distinguished Book Award
Submission Guidelines:
Please note that the only way to submit artwork is through this online submission manager (Submittable). CBAA membership must be current to submit. In order to become a new member, or to renew your membership link here: https://www.collegebookart.org/page-363225
CBAA Members can submit up to 2 works for consideration. Each entry must be submitted separately so the jurors can select separate pieces. For a second entry, please select the SECOND SUBMISSION, ALL MEMBERS category. This will ensure that you do not have to pay the entry fee twice.
Categories & Fees:
REGULAR MEMBERS — $30, includes up to 2 submissions
STUDENT MEMBERS — $10, includes up to 2 submissions
A non-refundable entry fee ($30 Regular Members/$10 Student Members) for up to two works must accompany each submission. When entering online you will pay via PayPal or any major credit card.
This is a blind jurying process. Please do not include your name or press name in the image, image file name, image file description or supplemental information (see IMAGES below for information on how to format your image file). You will be asked to enter your name only in the appropriate sections of the submission form.
You will be asked to submit the following information when prompted by the online submission manager for each entry separately:
- Member’s address
- Member’s phone number
- Member’s institution *if relevant
- Brief Bio (100 word limit)
- Title of work
- Year completed (work must have been completed in the last 3 years)
- Medium/technique
- Dimensions when closed (inches)
- Dimensions when opened (inches)
- Edition size (if applicable)
- Insurance value (required)
- Sale Value (this is not a sales event, but this is required for purchase awards)
- Short Description (see SHORT DESCRIPTION below)
- Indicate if the work maybe be engaged with (handled) during the opening reception
Images:
CBAA Members can submit up to 2 works for consideration and up to 5 images per entry. Include at least one full view and at least one detail. Images should be saved as jpg files, at 300 ppi, the smallest dimension should be no less than 1200 pixels, files no larger than 5MB each. Images will be used for jurying, and if piece is selected, images will also be used for the exhibition publications. NOTE: This is a blind jurying process. Please do not include your name or press name in the image, image file name, or image file description. If needed, blur identify information. Un-blurred images will be requested for exhibition publications.
Short Description:
Include a short description of the work, 250 words or less. NOTE: This text, including its name and contents should NOT include the member’s name or press name. This text may be used in exhibition publications and should address the work conceptually and visually.
Submission Deadlines:
Entries MUST be received no later than the entry deadline. Entries received after this date will not be considered for acceptance.
December 15, 2026: Submissions deadline
January 15, 2027: Notification of acceptance or rejection of each entry
May 1, 2027: Work must arrive by May 1, 2027, all shipping is the responsibility of the artist
June 1, 2027: Exhibition Opens
June 11, 2027: Reception for Member’s Exhibit
June 30, 2027: Exhibition closes
July 15, 2027: Return of work begins
Shipping:
All shipping and insurance in-transit, return label, and reusable packaging is the responsibility of the artist. Artists may use FedEx, UPS, USPS. Details for shipping and return shipping will be sent with the acceptance letter.
Contact:
For questions about the submission process or content-related questions about entries for the exhibition: Erin McAdams, emcadams@collegebookart.org
Jurors Bios:
Emily Martin
Emily Martin is a book artist and educator based in Iowa City, Iowa. She holds an MFA in Painting from the University of Iowa and has taught at the University of Iowa Center for the Book since 1998. Her work explores sculptural and movable book structures, paper engineering, and the intersection of traditional bookbinding with contemporary book art. Martin has produced numerous limited-edition artists' books, originally under the imprint Naughty Dog Press. Her work is held in collections internationally, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Britain, and the Library of Congress.
Ellen Knudson
Ellen Knudson is a book artist, designer, and educator based in Gainesville, Florida. She holds an MFA in Book Arts from the University of Alabama and is a Senior Associate in Book Arts at the University of Florida, where she teaches book arts and letterpress and curates the book arts collection. Working under the imprint Crooked Letter Press, Knudson creates handmade books that combine typography, image, and text to explore subjects ranging from science and mathematics to gender and the environment. Her work is held in national and international collections, including the Library of Congress, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and Yale University.
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