This year the Toronto Art Book Fair is turning 3! This milestone is marked by a new venue, Chinatown Centre at 222 Spadina Avenue, and official collaboration with Art Metropole, a compelling jam-packed program for the 2nd annual Art Book Week (July 4-11), and a unique roster of over 300 Canadian and international artists and exhibitors.

This year's exhibitors are a combination of first-time visitors to Toronto and familiar faces debuting new original work. This curated selection of exhibitors offers a glimpse into the experimental characteristics of the artist’s book, how the medium continues to evolve, and the ever-expanding field of printed matter. Artistic forms presented at the fair include, but are not limited to zines, comics, chapbooks, journals, silk-screen and risograph prints, photography, limited edition handmade books and art objects, stick-and-poke tattoos, social practice, performance, and film.

Also featured at this year's Toronto Art Book Fair is a unique Drumleaf and Coptic Stitch Bookbinding Workshop for Artists, lead by Akin MOCA artist Jessica Thalman.

Thalmann will present a quick lecture on artists exploring unique sculptural elements in their photobooks. Participants will then be guided through the creation of two techniques. This workshop is suitable for artists working in a myriad of disciplines including drawing, painting, collage, photography and interdisciplinary artists wishing to create try more complex book structures.

About the Instructor:
Jessica Thalmann is an artist, curator and educator currently based in Toronto and New York City. She received a MFA in Advanced Photographic Studies from ICP-Bard College and a BFA in Visual Arts from York University. She has worked at the Doris McCarthy Gallery, Toronto International Film Festival, C Magazine, the Art Gallery of York University and Yossi Milo Gallery.

Learn More about the Toronto Art Book Fair

Find out more about the book bindingworkshop here