For the Legacy Fund’s inaugural workshop and artist talk, we invited Mary Risala Laird, a book artist practicing in Berkeley, California. We were especially pleased to offer these events, as Mary and Tara had been dear friends ever since they met in graduate school at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in the 1980s.

A practicing artist since 1969, Mary came with a significant amount of pedagogical experience, having taught letterpress at San Francisco State University, Kala Institute in Berkeley, Naropa University, and at the San Francisco Center for the Book, as well as at workshops in Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and Washington state.

She led an one-day workshop teaching multi-signature bookbinding, in which participants bound real copies of Mary’s own cookbook, Lebanese Mountain Cookery, using a link stitch. The workshop took place at Quidi Vidi Artisan Studios, overlooking Quidi Vidi Gut. A busload of tourists even stopped in, and looked over shoulders as participants stitched their way along.

Mary’s artist talk gave an audience at Eastern Edge Gallery a taste of Mary’s playful and spiritual approach to creating art, guiding us through some of her book works that are held in special collections libraries across the United States and at the British Library in London, UK.

We were so grateful to receive Mary’s generosity of spirit for our inaugural events. Thank you, Mary!

You can find Mary’s bio and see more of her work on her website.