Friends of Montclair Library

One of my favorite posts to write every year is the one announcing the winners of our annual UNBOUND Book Art & Craft Contest.

We had a number of excellent entries this year and a hard time choosing as always, but we’ve selected the following winners:

Coming in first in the Kids’ division is Prathana P., age 6, who turned a kindergarten workbook into the luminous, lantern-like “Art Dime.”

Second place in the Kids’ division went to Olivia C., age 9, who transformed a book of mathematical tables into a fantastical green garden titled “The Magic of a Book.”

Saanvi B., age 6, took third place in the Kids’ division with the charming “Heidi the Hedgehog,” folded from the pages of a biography of Marie Curie.

In the Adult division, Brenda Cooper came in in first place with “Dog Stories,” which combined illustrations and pieces from several books into a mixed-media tribute to man’s best friend.

Embracing our re-use and recycle goal, Adult second place winner Sohug Mookerjee transformed a book she found in the middle of Thornhill Road into “Words of a Petal,” a giant paper flower wreath.

Tricia Larsen took third place in the Adult division with her “Poetree,” in which a poetry book sprouts a tree whose leaves contain words on “joy, love, grief, nature, women and life.”

Once again we had no teen entries, but we received several outstanding group entries for the first time this year, so we reshuffled the prizes and awarded a first and second place in the Groups category.

First place in Groups went to Ms. Ruth’s kindergarten and first grade art classes at Beach Elementary School, who turned an outdated dictionary into an amazing art piece titled “Beach Book Art.” Each student selected a word from a page to illustrate. Kindergarten students used pen, oil pastel, watercolor and cut paper, and first graders cut stencils and used them with paint rollers and cut paper collage for a Matisse-like effect.

Last but not least, Edna Brewer Middle School 6th grade art students created “Reading and Beyond,” 30 individual collages assembled into a large hanging piece featuring parts of many books.

Congratulations to our winners and thanks to everyone who entered! For more photos of these winners, past winners and other book art inspiration, see our Book Craft Ideas Pinterest board.

And thanks again to our generous sponsors, Out of Print and Artist & Craftsman Supply of Berkeley.