[Libri] Major book-related events coming to the Valley in the fall

Fri Mar 2 23:27:07 EST 2007

Many of you are probably aware, at least in general terms, of the  
book-themed programs that Museums 10 will sponsor in the Valley this  
fall. Here is the first major press release: I hope that you will  
mark the principal weekends in your calendars now.  Regular updates  
containing specifics will follow.

Best,
Jim Wald

Museums10 to Present BookMarks: A Celebration of the Art of the Book
Barry Moser’s Artwork Official Logo of Fall/Winter Festival

March 2, 2007

Contact: Tony Maroulis
Project Coordinator
Museums10
413-687-2757
amaroulis at fivecolleges.edu

AMHERST, Mass. – Museums10*, a partnership of ten museums in the upper
Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, which is facilitated by Five
Colleges, Inc., has announced plans for their second cross-cultural
initiative: BookMarks: A Celebration of the Art of the Book. Artwork  
created
by Barry Moser, nationally renowned artist and illustrator of over 250
books, will serve as the official logo of the upcoming series of
exhibitions, readings, and programming that officially kicks off in
September 2007 and runs through January 2008.

The mission of the three-year-old partnership is to promote the  
region using
the museums as a magnet for cultural tourism, in turn spurring a  
measurable
economic impact for cultural partners and businesses throughout the  
Valley.
Based on the success of last year’s GoDutch! there is evidence that the
Museums10 collaborative model works. GoDutch! exhibitions and  
programming
corresponded with a 15% increase in aggregate attendance at the museums,
bucking a downward trend in national museum attendance overall.

With a robust slate of events, and by using the Valley’s literary  
pedigree
as inspiration, Museums10 is confident that the BookMarks initiative  
will
bring a great deal of regional and national interest to Western
Massachusetts. That confidence is shared by local Chambers of  
Commerce and
The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, who have pledged
their support to Museums10 for this project.

The BookMarks logo by Barry Moser, an engraving created by the artist
exclusively for this year’s initiative, will be the centerpiece of a
comprehensive marketing plan that includes radio, print, television,  
and web
advertising. Museums10 hopes to increase their visibility beyond the  
borders
of Western Massachusetts and into the New York City and Boston areas to
reach the market for cultural tourists.  The local advertising by  
Museums10
will be geared to informing its local audience of the world-class museum
collections in their backyards.

The collaboration is not limited to Museums10, and is intended to create
ties among cultural organizations and businesses throughout the Valley.
Programmatic partners such as the Amherst Cinema Arts Center and  
Pocumtuck
Valley Memorial Association – whose contributions to the  
collaboration will
include programming related to the BookMarks theme – as well as economic
partners such as restaurants, booksellers, hotels and inns will  
benefit from
Museums10’s promotion of the project outside the region.

“The collective energy around BookMarks programming and exhibitions
highlights the creative activity and economy of Western  
Massachusetts,” says
Marianne Doezema, director of the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum. “The
stunning logo by Barry Moser is a perfect example of the area’s rich  
pool of
talent. The world class collections, history museums, performing arts
venues, and art galleries along with the great numbers of notable  
artists,
writers, bookmakers, and people in the literary fields throughout  
Hampden,
Hampshire, and Franklin counties are just part of the rich tapestry that
makes the Pioneer Valley a great place to live, work, or visit.”

Plans for BookMarks will highlight the rich literary history and  
culture of
the region, as well as the work of contemporary local artists. A full
listing of Museums10/BookMarks exhibitions can be found at  
www.museums10.org
<http://www.museums10.org> . Below is a sampling of what’s ahead:

Two by Two: Lines, Rhymes, and Riddles at the Mount Holyoke College Art
Museum featuring the poetry and artwork of the Leithauser brothers –  
local
prize-winning poet and Mount Holyoke professor Brad and his brother and
artist Mark.

Poetic Science: Bookworks by Daniel E. Kelm at the Smith College  
Museum of
Art. This is the first solo exhibition in New England of the
Easthampton-based artist and bookbinder featuring thirty works by the
artist.

Spiderwick from Page to Screen at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture  
Book Art.
The transformation of the words and pictures of Amherst residents Holly
Black and Tony diTerlizzi’s Spiderwick Chronicles to the silver  
screen will
be the focus of the Carle’s BookMarks offering.

In addition to the exhibition schedule, Museums10 is also sponsoring  
three
themed programming weekends: The Art of the Book will be the focus of
lectures, events, and programming from September 20-23; October 12-14  
will
feature Books Out Loud with readings at museums and independent  
bookstores
throughout the Valley; and from November 15-18, The Book: Past and  
Future
will look at where the book is headed in the digital age and beyond.

“The process of planning BookMarks has been an eye-opening  
experience. We
have invited a number of key constituencies to the table – among them  
book
sellers, librarians, and business leaders - to help us plan events  
around
our exhibitions. The ideas have proved plentiful and exciting. We think
there will be something in BookMarks for everyone,” said Doezema.  
“There is
still plenty of time and opportunity for businesses and programmatic
partners to get involved.”

There is no cost for businesses and cultural institutions to  
participate in
this unique cross-promotional project. For more details, please  
contact Tony
Maroulis, Museums10 project coordinator at amaroulis at fivecolleges.edu.

Museums10 is a partnership of ten outstanding museums - Amherst College
Museum of Natural History, Emily Dickinson Museum: The Homestead and The
Evergreens, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Hampshire  
College Art
Gallery, Historic Deerfield, Mead Art Museum at Amherst College, Mount
Holyoke College Art Museum, National Yiddish Book Center, Smith College
Museum of Art, and University Gallery at UMass Amherst – in one gorgeous
place: the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. For more information
about Museums10, please visit www.museums10.org.