BasketShop is pleased to present the expansion of its books section into a more robust shop, resource and reading room for the Cincinnati region for artist books, prints, used art books, and non-circulating journals and magazines. Called BasketCat., this project will kick off with an exhibition in the form of an artist bookshop that will include regional artist book makers, presses, collectors, artists and dealers. After the exhibition’s conclusion, it will continue to be open to the public in the middle and back sections of the gallery, while the front will continue regular gallery programming.
Since BasketShop began participating in the first Cincinnati Art Book fair presented by AnyTime department’s Rebecca Steele and Lydia Rosenberg in 2018, they have found the medium and the culture around artist books to be an astonishing accompaniment for their program. As artist books are generally a financially and materially accessible medium through which people can make and distribute their art in a vast array of formats
We are currently inviting art book artists, small presses, dealers and other art book inclined people from within 300 miles of the Cincinnati area (this area includes Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Nashville) to submit their work for display and sale in their exhibition BasketCat. opening February 22nd. Materials must arrive at the gallery by 02/20/25 for the opening reception. Late submissions will be considered on a rolling basis through March 15, 2025.
During the run of the exhibition materials will be available for purchase. Each maker, press, vendor must provide a scannable QR code for visitors to purchase the books via a mobile payment service such as Venmo or CashApp. BasketCat. will only facilitate sales of individual objects over $100 and on a very special needs basis. Artists / submitters are encouraged to donate a portion of the sales (suggested 20 - 50%) back to the gallery whenever possible. These funds support future programming while maintaining the gallery and new shop space / reading room.
This project has been generously supported by a grant from the Haile Foundation.
