Monique Lallier is the Director of the American Academy of Bookbinding and also teaches binding classes such as French binding and chemise. An internationally recognized bookbinder and book artist, Monique’s years of experience in the technique of French binding make her an ideal choice for director and instructor in the AAB’s French technique-based bookbinding program. Monique began her studies in the 1960s in Montreal at Cotnoir Cappone School of Fashion and L’art de la Reliure bookbinding school with Simone B. Roy. She continued studies in Paris with Roger Arnoult, at Centro del bel Libro in Ascona with Edwin Heim and in Solothurn, Switzerland with Hugo Peller. Monique’s work may be found in the collections of: McGill University, Montreal; St. Joseph Oratory in Montreal for the Pope Jean-Paul II; Louisiana State University; University of North Carolina; as well as many private collections in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan. Monique practices her craft full time from her studio in Summerfield, North Carolina.

Nationally and internationally recognized for innovative design and implementation of state-of-the-art conservation procedures, including phased preservation programs for libraries and institutions, Don brings over 45 years of professional experience to the AAB. After extensive training in England, he established a four-year program in bookbinding and design at Southampton College of Art and conducted workshops and seminars for colleges, universities and the Guild of Bookworkers. President of the Etherington Conservation Center in Greensboro, N.C., Don also holds the position of Fellow in both the American Institute for Conservation and the International Institute for Conservation. Other professional affiliations include the Guild of Bookworkers (Past chairman, Standards Committee); Accredited Fellow, Institute of Paper Conservation in England; and member of the American Library Association.

Donald Glaister       http://www.foolsgoldstudio.com/

Donald Glaister is a book artist now living and working on Vashon Island, Washington, near Seattle. He began his bookbinding career after taking degrees in painting and sculpture from San Jose State College in California, and studying binding privately with Barbara Hiller in San Francisco and Pierre Aufschnieder and Roger Arnoult in Paris. His professional career in design bookbinding, spanning more than thirty years, has centered on the exploration, development and use of unexpected binding materials, visual humor and spontaneous visual expression, while working within the classical framework of the European binding form. Beginning in 2002, Don’s work expanded to include the design and production of editions of artist’s books that include painting, sculpture and poetry that Don has made. Don has taught binding and design privately and as Professor of Book Arts at the University of Alabama. Don’s work appears in major private, public and national collections throughout North America and Europe.

Hélène Jolis

Hélène Jolis is one of Europe’s premier book artists and teachers. After highly successful classes in 2008 in Telluride, Colorado at AAB’s main campus, Hélène returns with an expanded teaching schedule. She is classically trained as a Gold Tooler and Finisher. She considers her work modern, specializing in the execution of contemporary bookbinding decoration for well-known designer bookbinders, and has created decorated bindings for libraries and private collections around the world. She has worked as a finishing trainer in professional schools, private studios and for guilds of bookbinders in France, Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Japan, Brazil, Quebec, Australia and now the United States. Due to an injury, Hélène closed her personal studio in 1995 and began her teaching career so that she may share her wealth of knowledge with students around the world, keeping this spectacular art alive. She lives in Paris, France.

Renate Mesmer

Renate Mesmer is the Assistant Head of Conservation at the Folger Shakespeare Library and the former Director of the Book and Paper Conservation Program at the Centro del bel Libro in Ascona, Switzerland. She has a Masters in Bookbinding from the Chamber of Crafts of Palatinate in Germany and worked as a bookbinder for many years. She gained experience in conservation during ten years of work as head of the conservation department at the Speyer’s State Archives in Germany.

Brenda Parsons

Brenda Parsons is a Senior Book Conservator at Etherington Conservation Services in North Carolina. Brenda has been working with Don Etherington at Etherington Conservation Services for 21 years, beginning in 1987. She was one of Don’s first two employees hired to set up the conservation lab, and currently assists in managing and training new employees there. Brenda has a BFA in painting and printmaking from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, has studied with Monique Lallier and, of course, Don Etherington. She has been Don’s teaching assistant at AAB’s Telluride campus for the past three years. With a solid foundation in both fine binding and conservation, Brenda is poised to be the first student to receive a Diploma in Conservation from the American Academy of Bookbinding in October 2008 at the GBW conference in Toronto.

Past faculty includes Tini Miura, Einen Miura, Monique Lallier, Don Etherington, Louise Genest, John Franklin Mowery, Eleanore Edwards Ramsey, Don Glaister, Hélène Jolis and Hans-Peter Frölich.