I overlooked a major event going on this month in my weekly Odds and Book Ends post: Octavofest, a month-long event "celebrating the book and paper arts."

From the About page:

Octavofest was first held in 2009, when a program of eight types of events (e.g., exhibitions, demonstrations, art museum tours, and lectures) was held during the month of October and sponsored by Art Books Cleveland (ABC). ABC, formed a year earlier (March 2008), is the Cleveland-area organization devoted to advancing the appreciation of book and paper arts. Its members include book artists, binders, conservators, calligraphers, printers, and papermakers.
...
The 2011 Octavofest program promises an even livelier and more visible exploration of the book and paper arts. It has continued to draw new collaborators who, by combining their energies, can leverage their own venues, audiences, expertise, staff, and other resources to build the programming. New collaborators from beyond the immediate area, such as Oberlin College and the Ohioana Library Association, demonstrate the potential of Octavofest to promote the Cleveland area’s strengths, both in the book and paper arts and in the successful co-creation of community among institutions, organizations, artists, and entrepreneurs. ...

You can read more about Octavofest to get a better idea of its origin and its future, and take a look at its founding and participating members - which include Art Books Cleveland, Cleveland State University's Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland Botanical Garden's Eleanor Squire Library, Cleveland Public Library, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Euclid Public Library, Cuyahoga County Public Library and many, many more Cleveland institutions.

Check out what's planned for the rest of Octavofest on the Calendar of Events. Several exhibits last throughout the entire month (and some beyond). There are also speakers, tours and hands-on activities. Registration is required for some, so be sure to check out the details of each event.

Happy Octavofest!


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl