Our Mission
The CODEX Foundation exists to preserve and promote the contemporary handmade book as a work of art in the broadest possible context and to bring to public recognition the artists, the fine craft, and the rich history of the civilization of the book.
The new CODEX Foundation Logan Book Arts Center aims to be a vital part of the arts and culture community in Berkeley and beyond, focusing on the art of the handmade book – a dynamic crossroads between the visual and literary arts.
We aim to:
1. Preserve the rich history and craft traditions that make up the book arts. This includes the study of the book arts in different cultures, across time, and from a global perspective.
- By organizing tours, lectures, workshops, seminars, and symposia.
- By making our Book Arts Research Library open to the public by appointment.
- We are working towards developing a scholar’s fellowship and an artist’s fellowship to support research at our facility.
- By offering internships and volunteer opportunities.
2. Promote and support contemporary artists, scholars, curators, librarians, and collectors (both independent and academic) within the field of artists’ books and fine press books:
- By organizing exhibitions and accompanying catalogs.
- By publishing other publications including: the CODEX Papers journal, and our CODE(X)+1 Monograph series of artist/scholar essays and manifestos. Contributing to scholarship and discussion in the field.
- By organizing our biennial artists’ book fair & symposium.
- We are working on creating an Artists’ Books Research Library/Repository which would make artists’ books available for viewing, study, scholarship, exhibition, and purchase with 75% of the sales price going to the artists.
- Our staff is available to give talks, live or via Zoom, about the field of artists’ books, about artists and/or scholarship in the field, or to show our own publications including show and tells of our print portfolio assembly/exchange projects which highlight original print work by artists from across the globe.
3. Foster the future of the book as a dynamic and vibrant field for art and research within the crossroads of the greater contemporary literary and visual arts communities:
- Work with other local, regional, national, and international organizations to encourage collaboration.
- Consult with heads of museums or galleries on inclusion of artists’ books within larger art exhibitions.
- Work with groups of writers, designers, or others to learn about the history of letterpress printing or bookmaking through specialized workshops or tours.
Accommodations
If you are a person with a disability and require an accommodation to participate in a program, service or activity, or require documents in alternative formats, please email us at contact@codexfoundation.org.