Child's Play

A Book Arts Exhibition

Merrill-Cazier Library, Utah State University

Lower Level, in front of Special Collections

April 1 - 20, 2026

Artist Reception: Tuesday, April 7th, 3 - 4 p.m.

This is an exhibition of artist books created by students and the instructor of the Introduction to Book Arts course in the Art + Design department at Utah State University in Spring 2026. This exhibition of artist books is a return to our childhood dreams and imagination. The books are constructions of memories that shaped who we are becoming as artists and designers.

Explore Our Exhibition

A hand holding two small books with colorful paper covers, showcasing vibrant designs and textures.

A lamp made out of a series of art cut-outs, illuminating the surrounding area with a warm glow.

An illustrative design of a farmside landscape. A red barn sits in the background housing the farm animals that live there. Above the barn text reads Herbie The Bare Naked Turkey. Orange, white and light blue gradients texturize the title. Up front the Character Herbie stands looking at the viewer. His friends farmer Gene and Bella the bunny stand behind him waving hello in front of the red barn.

A dark grey fabric, covered in flower embroidery, frames a series of layered illustrations of a forest. Cut out pages of watercolor flowers and trees retreat into the background. A rabbit, owl, and a pair of deer hide in the illustrations.

A large chest created with bookboard that has been painted brown and black with a soft, red velvet fabric lining the inside. The chest has been filled with all manner of acrylic gems of different sizes along with plastic gold coins. Sitting atop the treasure is a brown leather-bound book.

Handmade book cover wrapped in pieces of leather, with a raised tree symbol in the center
bound between two natural sticks with visible wax thread, invoking a forest-inspired organic
design

A birds-eye view of a small section of an accordion book made out of cotton fabric.

Front view of a tunnel book made of various types of paper and chicken wire. The pieces of paper are torn and stitched together.

Light blue, dark blue, and purple patchwork quilted book, with gold embroidered title Goodnight Sweet Dreams, and gold beaded crescent moon and stars; stood up next to a matching jester doll with a smiling face.

A top down view of a book with a cover made of old plushies and felt for pages.

A pair of small books featuring bright, colorful pages and unique covers, arranged side by side on a table.

Four Houses with different designs; each has been given a nickname signifying the childhood identity given to each. Last California House, Riverton House, Green House, and First Apartment.

Traditional Mexican cloth napkin with yellow sunflower embroidered. Yellow and pink crotched edges with the book title “Mi Mami Dijo” in green yarn.

Small handmade book with a light blue, rounded cover, dark spine, and a centered black linocut flower design, with a green tab slightly visible from inside.

The image shows a book with a soft, white, fabric cover with small flower print. The spine has a visible weave of blue and pink embroidery floss overlapping each other. There are lace ruffles around the edges of the cover and spine.

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About Our Exhibition

Child's Play Book Arts Exhibition showcases artist books from the Introduction to Book Arts course (ART 3260) in the Art + Design department at Utah State University. Our books reflect a commitment to craftsmanship and creativity, celebrating the beauty of books as both an art form and a means of storytelling. From whimsical pop-up books to hand and digitally illustrated books, each book explores an artist's own childhood memories through materials and form. We welcome engagement with the physical exhibition at the Merrill-Cazier Library on the USU campus from April 1 - 20, 2026 and additional viewing on our website through images and video tours.