Binding Family Stories: Making Artist Books as Archives

With Sarah Sprouse

October 26 - November 1, 2025

Extended End-Of-Summer discount! Book in August or September for a week-long fall class and receive 10% off lodging and meals. Offer valid until Sep 30, 2025.

Location: Grunewald Guild

Address: 19003 River Road, Leavenworth, WA, USA

Will I need to work outside of class?: It would be helpful to your projects but not required.

Do I need experience to take this class?: All levels experience.

Minimum age of participant: 12

What kinds & quantities of projects can participants expect to create in this class?: 2-4 blank books & an artist book

  • Commuter – $115.00
  • Cabin – $1,170.00
  • Private Room + Shared Bath – $930.00
  • Shared Room + Shared Bath – $600.00
  • Yurt – $720.00
  • Library Dorm – $450.00
  • RV with Electric: 125V/30 Amp – $450.00
  • RV with Electric: 25V/20 Amp – $450.00
  • Personal Tent or Car Camping – $390.00
REGISTER FOR THIS COURSE
REGISTER FOR THIS COURSE

This program begins Sunday, October 26, and ends Saturday, November 1. The fees listed at right include lodging and all meals (except “Commuter”, which includes a Commuter Meal Plan).  An additional sliding scale Course Fee is required.  For more information on our pricing, see our Pricing page.

In this class, we will explore the artist book as a powerful and intimate medium for storytelling, memory keeping, and family history preservation. Whether you’re interested in creating a keepsake of a beloved vacation, visually mapping your ancestry, or experimenting with the interplay of personal and collective memory, this class invites you to bind the threads of time into tactile, visual form.

Through a variety of bookbinding techniques, students will create their own artist books that serve as living archives—layered with imagery, narrative, ephemera, and material memory. We’ll study examples of contemporary and historical artist books, reflect on themes of lineage and legacy, and experiment with structure, texture, and form. No prior bookmaking experience is required—just a curiosity about how stories live on the page and in our hands.

Come ready to fold, stitch, collage, and create a book that holds your story!

*Students are encouraged to bring family history items, images, or collage materials.

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Class Schedule: This class meets from 9am-12pm 

About the Faculty

Sarah Sprouse

Sarah Sprouse is a visual artist, educator, and art historian from the greater Seattle area. She holds an M.A. in Modern and Contemporary Art History from Azusa Pacific University, with research focusing on women, ceramics, and community in the mid-century. Sarah serves as the Executive Director of the Grünewald Guild, an art education and retreat […]

Learn more about Sarah Sprouse

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