This is it!!

 It's finally here!  We are at the end of the Little Black Book Project 2011.  Many of the participants in the project have expressed how attached they became to their books and how much of themselves and their private thoughts ended up working their way into the drawings and collages and writing that appeared in the pages of each of the books.  Were you surprised by something that revealed itself in the creation of your book?  I'd love to hear about it.  Send me an email if you like at, thelittleblackbookproject@gmail.com ,  or comment on the blog.  All submissions are strictly confidential.
On to the reception!!
March 24th, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. U of R, Riddell Centre, Crush Area.
Bidding opens at 5:30 p.m.
Each table of books will have a staggered close time.  Bids close on the first table at 7:15 p.m..  All bids close at 7:30 p.m.  Winners will be announced at 7:45 p.m.

A big thank you to all those who contributed a book to the project!  Without you there wouldn't be a show.
Stay tuned for announcements about next years project.

My Little Black Book

Here's what one of our black bookers had to say about her book.

My Little Black Book

This project began with a generous dose of procrastination, but eventually I began working on it during a roadtrip to Winnipeg. When I was sketching on the road we drove through a whiteout blizzard, for several hours. The blank pages didn’t seem quite so intimidating when drawing an entirely white landscape. Most of the drawings I made during this experience were covered up by other pieces of paper, but that is where it began.

As the book evolved, I started to think about it as a story with no beginning, no middle, and no end. I wanted every page to be spectacular just in case that was the first page a viewer opened to. And I also wanted to be huge. I had a picture in my head of a book so thick with paper and glue that the pages would be flayed when open or closed.

The secret theme that was tucked into the back of my little black book didn’t make sense the day I got it; The small slip of paper read “I Hate it When They Leave”.  As it turned out, the hardest part of this project was accepting that the better I made it, the less I might want to give it away. Fortunately, making this one book and giving it away was well worth the opportunity to see the other 119 books that were given out over two months ago. 

a blank book and a secret

The concept was simple.  Start with a blank book and a secret theme.  Then give people two months to re-invent the book based on that theme.  The idea was inspired by the Sketchbook Project out of Brooklyn.  It is similar in that participants fill their sketchbook based on a theme but that's where the similarities end.  The twist to the Little Black Book Project is that the completed books will be part of a display and silent auction where visitors can look through the books and bid on their favourite.  The project was open to all students, faculty and staff on campus.  The books have been written in, filled with drawings and photos, torn apart and recreated.  Funds raised from the auction will come back to the Fine Arts Department to benefit students and future projects.  The reception and silent auction will be held March 24 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. in the Crush area of Riddell Centre at the U of R. 
For a preview check out the big display window outside the Shu-Box Theatre in Riddell Centre.  For more information on The Little Black Book Project visit the Art Store in Visual Arts, RC 022.