PHOTO BY JASMINE FISHER — The Marshalltown Public Library’s annual altered book exhibit kicks off with a public reception from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Pictured is a project created by Amy Snyder, which depicts the alleged UFO crash in Roswell, N.M., in July 1947.
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They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, and the Marshalltown Public Library’s annual altered book exhibit demonstrates you also can’t limit a book’s usefulness to merely being a vessel of literature.
More than a decade ago, the library began offering the exhibit in recognition of October being Arts and Humanities Month. Throughout the month, people have signed up to alter a book, with the creations to be unveiled at a public reception from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday that will include light refreshments.
Reference Services Librarian Jasmine Fisher said the books the library offered up for participants to use have been taken out of circulation or were donations from the public the library couldn’t use.
“We also have books we weed out such as outdated travel guides or medical texts,” she explained. “Some books are in poor condition. If a book hasn’t been checked out in five years we may offer that (for usage for the projects). We’re not destroying them. We’re upcycling them.”
Marshalltown Community College Art Professor Tim Castle has had his pupils create pieces for the exhibit since the initiative began.
“They’re able to put their personal ideas into the book itself,” Castle said.
Students in Castle’s two-dimensional and three-dimensional classes team up in the same space to make their projects, which are graded on quality of the work and whether or not they’re visually stimulating to the viewer.
“I love the project because it fits in with what I teach. We talk about building blocks of art, which are shapes, lines, colors, textures and more. The project is really about that,” he added.
More than a dozen of his students are making projects for the exhibit.
“I do one every year too,” he said.
Books can be altered in a variety of ways: painted, cut, collaged, folded, sculpted or transformed into a functional object. Many you may not even recognize as having once been a book. Some people like to use a theme connected in some way to the book’s title.
Fisher said the types of altered books she’s seen be exhibited over the years include: dioramas, sculptures, masks, clocks, treasure chests and more. One submission the library has already received was created by Amy Snyder and depicts the alleged UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico in July 1947.
“It is very interactive. You can push a button for sound and lights,” Fisher explained.
While Castle’s students in his two-dimensional class can present projects that are either 2D or 3D, those in his three-dimensional course must ensure what they make is sculptural.
“The more substantial books are more resilient to the hammering and application of materials the students give them,” Castle said of the book selection process. “Oftentimes, the covers themselves become an important part of the artwork itself. It’s a very open-ended project. You don’t need artistic talent per se. You just need to experiment.”
Those who wish to showcase their creation(s) in the exhibit must drop them off at the library by closing time on Oct. 24.
Fisher said the only guideline that is given is ensuring the content is not “vulgar” as children will see the exhibit. The books will be viewable in the library’s meeting rooms for about a month. No prizes will be awarded.
Questions can be directed to Fisher at the library at 754-5738 ext. 4.