Burgeoning Books, February 9 - March 3, 2007

The VNSA (Volunteer Non-Profit Service Association) has been a Valley tradition for over 50 years and continually draws thousands of people to the Arizona State Fairgrounds. Each year, the book sale sells anywhere from 500,000-600,000 books to avid readers and collectors. But let's face it. Not all books will find a new home. And so the question remains: what happens to those that are still orphaned?

Well, they don't necessarily go to "book heaven." Some of them actually take on a new life as thought-provoking and exquisite art pieces. In partnership with the VNSA, The Paper Studio presents the exhibit "Burgeoning Books," featuring local book artists who have transformed unwanted tomes into masterpieces. The exhibition is aptly titled because these discarded books bloom and flourish into new works of art.

Local artist Chris Weller's piece "W Basket & Embedded Trash" used to be a book about President George W. Bush. Torn pages of the book serve as a decorative skirt for the trash can, while titles of each chapter from the book covers the actual rim. Another artist, Theresa Kernan, presents a piece that when opened, morphs into a tree—where many books begin.

Join us for a closing reception on Friday, March 2, from 5 - 7 p.m.