2025 Enrich: Sheila S. Flener

One of our 2025 Enrich recipients, Sheila S. Flener, shares her insights on the book workshop she attended.

I was fortunate to receive a grant from the IIDA Enrich program last year, which funded an artist book workshop organized by the Compendium Society. The workshop took place from April 8th to April 13th, 2025, in the picturesque town of Palmyra, Pennsylvania. This year's retreat featured four talented book artists: Tina Walker, DeeDee Catron, Lisa Goddard, and Jane Chipp. Lisa Goddard and Jane Chipp are both renowned book artists hailing from the United Kingdom. However, due to the prevailing political climate, Jane Chipp decided to conduct her portion of the retreat via Zoom in June, as she felt traveling to the U.S. during this period would be unsafe. This concern has become increasingly pronounced since that time.

This year's retreat focused on upcycling, with each artist's concept book reflecting this theme. Tina Walker crafted her book using clothing sourced from Goodwill in Pennsylvania, encouraging participants to either repurpose denim jeans and a cotton shirt from their own closets or purchase items from Goodwill. Her book showcased various techniques involving weaving and sewing. DeeDee Catron designed an accordion-fold book made from old Manila folders, incorporating pockets into the design. The assignment required participants to create a memory book that utilized old photographs, stamps, and ink. My personal favorite was Lisa Goddard's book, which featured used teabags, vintage teaspoons, old photographs, and leftover fabric scraps that are often discarded. During her demonstration, she humorously remarked on how much tea she consumed daily and the impact it had on landfills. Jane Chipps utilized old playing cards in her design, transforming them into a book bound with ribbon to create an intricate folding pattern. Casinos discard vast quantities of playing cards every day, often puncturing a hole in each card in a deck before disposal.

The key insights from this retreat are:  

• I have gained a new perspective on discovering and utilizing materials for my artist books that can help reduce landfill waste.  

• What we often perceive as trash can be transformed into a powerful narrative through art.  

  
  

Thank you, IIDA, for providing me with this valuable opportunity to evolve as an artist.

Sheila S. Flener KYCID, IIDA

Western Kentucky University