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South Florida’s first international biennial artists’ book fair— Tropic Bound Artists Book Fair – arrives this spring at the Miami Design District’s Paradise Plaza. This vibrant event will showcase the unique artistic genre known as “artists’ books.” These complex creations bridge the worlds of art, craft, and literature: telling stories, sometimes without words, and represent a broad variety of cultural traditions. Tropic Bound Artists Book Fair brings together over 60 exhibitors from across the US, Mexico, South American, Caribbean, Europe and Egypt. The fair is free and open to the public, the symposium and welcome day events may carry a fee.
Visitors will discover the world of artists’ books with exhibitors and books from around the world while learning about book binding, paper-making and marbling, letterpress printing, and other techniques particular to this art form. Visitors can view and purchase works of art, speak to book artists, printers, and collectors, and attend talks and panels that dive deeper into this special form of expression – artists’ books. Tropic Bound Artists Book Fair events include guided shuttle tours of Miami’s literary hotspots, a symposium, welcome party, 3 days of fair, and several intimate artist’s talks throughout the duration of the fair.
Dates: February 16th-19th
Hours: Friday: 12PM-6PM | Saturday: 10AM-7PM | Sunday: 10AM-4PM
Location: Paradise Plaza | 151 NE 31st St, Miami, FL 33137
Tropic Bound 2023 Schedule of Events:
Thursday, February 16, 2023
10am – 2pm Miami Literary Arts Shuttle Tours:
Little Haiti / Little River Tour:
10am, Little Haiti / Little River Tour, departs from Paradise Plaza
● Emerson Dorsch Gallery with tour
● Extra Virgin Press with tour by Tom Virgin, Director of Extra Virgin Press
● IS Projects with tour by Ingrid Schindall, Director of IS projects and Director of Tropic Bound
● Dalé Zine with tour by Steve Saiz, owner of Dalé Zine
● Lunch in Little River (cost included with ticket price)
2pm, return to Paradise Plaza
University of Miami / Coral Gables Tour:
10am, University of Miami Special Collections / Coral Gables Tour, departs from Paradise Plaza
● University of Miami Special Collections with tour from Cristina Favretto, Director of Special Collections and Director of Tropic Bound
● Tour of artists’ books in the University of Miami Cuban Heritage Collection
● Books and Books Coral Gables, Miami’s award-winning independent bookstore, with tour by Mitch Kaplan, owner of Books and Books, former president of the American Booksellers Association and co-founder of the Miami Book Fair International (largest book fair in the United States!) And words from Amanda Season Keeley, founder of Exile Books.
● Lunch at Books and Books (cost included with ticket price)
2pm return to Paradise Plaza
Tickets for the shuttle tour cost $50, seating is limited. RSVP required.
4 – 6pm Symposium:
Keynote Speaker: Tia Blassingame, Book artist, Founder of Book/Print Artist/Scholar of Color Collective and Proprietor of Primrose Press Panel: Beyond Florida Man: the surprising depth of Miami’s literary arts landscape with John Cutrone, Director of Jaffe Center for Book Arts; P. Scott Cunningham, O, Miami Founder and Executive Director; Aldeide Delgado, founder & director of Women Photographers International Archive (WOPHA); Amy Galpin, Frost Museum of Art Chief Curator; Stephanie M. Garcia, Head of Special Collections & Archives for Miami Dade-Public Library System, and Steve Saiz, founder of Dalé Zine.
6-8pm, Welcome Party:
Join us in the beautiful Paradise Plaza space to meet and greet with exhibitors, artists, collectors, enthusiasts, and publishers while enjoying the Miami Sunset from our rooftop garden terrace.
Symposium tickets are complimentary for students and Tropic Bound exhibitors and $10 for the general public. The welcome party is free to attend though we are asking guests to rsvp through eventbrite. All welcome day event tickets can be reserved here: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/tropic-bound-55515375283
Friday, February 17, 2023
8-11am Exhibitors Set Up
11-Noon Exhibitor preview with catered lunch (simple breakfast, buffet style)
Noon Fair Opens to Public; 6pm Fair closes
Saturday, February 18, 2023
Day of Programming theme: “Making it Work” working in book arts across media, cultures, and ideas.
10am – 7pm Fair Open
1pm Day Of Program TBA
3pm Day Of Program TBA
5pm Day Of Program TBA
7pm Fair closes
Sunday, February 19, 2023
10am – 4pm Fair Open
12pm Day Of Program TBA
2pm Day Of Program TBA
4pm Fair closes
4 – 6pm Exhibitor break down
*note 41 Street blocked off for Car Show on Sunday
What do you think?