BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — It is a rarity and it is right here in Boca — a library dedicated to handmade books. FAU is the place and here are the details:
Florida Atlantic University’s Arthur & Mata Jaffe Center for Book Arts, one of the nation’s most prominent centers for books handmade by artists, now is open to the public for free tours on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 4 p.m. No reservations are necessary to tour the Jaffe Center, which is located at the Wimberly Library, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus. Donations are accepted.
A hybrid of library and gallery, the Jaffe Center houses about 12,000 rare books and is a popular venue for educational workshops in book arts, book binding and papermaking. The Center is also known for its concerts, film screenings, exhibitions and workshops, all of which are open to the public. The Helen M. Salzberg Artist in Residence program offered by the center pays for two artists to spend a semester creating art at the center.
“I view the Jaffe Center as a place where culture and creativity can thrive, but definitely with a focus on book arts,” said John Cutrone, the Center’s director. “The idea of a book arts center is not a common one, but we like to think of the Jaffe Center as not your average book arts center.”
Tours include a showing of some of the beloved books in the collection, a visit to the letterpress studio where the vintage presses are located and a 20-minute video on the Jaffe Center.
