About this project

Objective:

To raise $3,000 (or more!) for travel, research, and the making of the Bohemian Book Project at ArtMill, a not-for-profit international arts center and sustainable farm, in south central Bohemia.

Conceptual framework:

The Bohemian Book Project is an illustrated children’s book about the relationship between art and the environment.  We will explore folk tales from the Czech Republic where there is a rich tradition of oral storytelling.  Using our individual backgrounds in the visual (Amia) and performing arts (Miriam), we are modernizing a traditional tale to address current issues about the environment and sustainability.  Our book will combine visually stunning designs with narrative to demonstrate how the earth is its own natural source of art and how we can “use the power of the land, the water and even technology to engender more creative and sustainable human problem-solvers.”*

At ArtMill, we will talk to local Bohemians about the history and stories from their region, take photographs, compose the illustrations, and start a dialogue with other international artists about their own relationships to the environment. 

Why ArtMill?

“ArtMill borders the Šumava region, a unique and protected nature reserve and forest ecosystem.  Behind the Iron Curtain for 40 years, large portions of the area were stripped of human settlement and today it's considered the most extensive forest in the region.”* We both had the opportunity to work and teach at ArtMill in the summer of 2010, and we were greatly inspired by the history of the region, natural beauty of the land, and the artistic community dedicated to sustainable creative practices.

Practical:

The children’s book will combine text with full-page illustrations. The illustrations will be a combination of photography, collage, and drawing using natural found objects and recycled or reclaimed materials. The format of the illustrations will be still life photographs taken at ArtMill, which we will print and manipulate using ink and pigment to create a multi-media layered effect. The book will be approximately 32 pages long with 2 to 5 lines of text per page. We would like to print on recycled paper using sustainable practices in the book industry.

Destination:

Upon finishing the book, we would like to exhibit large format prints of the book’s illustrations in a gallery as well as publish and sell the book in bookstores. Goal:To create fun and stimulating material for children that drives awareness for the environment and encourages artistic exploration. Our project seeks to revive the Czech Republic’s rich tradition in storytelling by experiencing the natural world through the arts

*www.artmill.eu