I am a Mills alum (2009) with a Book Arts minor. The Book Arts programme was a big factor in my decision to attend Mills– I saw the studio on the student visiting day, had my chance to print something on one of the Vandercooks, and immediately fell in love. As a freshwoman, I camped out half the night to sign up for courses, with my eyes on one of the few open places in Intro to Book Arts. In succeeding years, I spend many afternoons, nights and weekends in the studio. Those are some of my favourite memories of Mills.
I am now finishing a PhD in human-computer interaction at the University of Edinburgh (UK), and absolutely believe that my years in the book arts studio were an important foundation for my current work in design, research, and teaching. Book Arts taught me about design thinking, making choices and justifying decision when there are 101 options, project planning, and the virtue of measuring twice and cutting once. The many hours around the seminar room table, learning how to constructively critique and give feedback on my own and others’ work, were one of the most valuable things I did at Mills in terms of preparation for graduate-level study. Constructive critique is hard. Giving feedback that others can understand, process and concretely use—but that still respects their vision and overall ownership of ideas and projects—is just as difficult. Learning how to be on the receiving end of critique and feedback of a very personal-feeling project is maybe the hardest of all! I did learn, partly because Book Arts had such a strong sense of community and collective spirit, with the same students getting to know each other and their work over time, feeling like we were a team that was part of something special and unusual. All of those critique, feedback, and discussion skills are a huge part of what I need to do as a PhD researcher, tutor, student project supervisor, and member of the academic community.
I immensely value my Book Arts experience and book-binding/printing skills and will always take an interest in this area, even though I am now at the computer far more often than the cutting mat. I would urge Mills to realise that Book Arts can benefit students in far more ways than in learning to make and appreciate artists’ books. It is an opportunity for skills and experiences that you can take to many different places.
Alyssa M. Alcorn, Mills class of 2009
University of Edinburgh, Scotland