The Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College and The Arts Area Partner to Host 50+ Independent Publishers
Claremont, CA—The Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College and The Arts Area are pleased to present the very first Print Pomona Art Book Fair (PPABF) on Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3 at Pomona College’s Edmunds Ballroom in the Smith Campus Center. PPABF will bring more than 50 national and international publishers to the Pomona College campus for the first time, where they will be exhibiting artists’ books, art catalogues, photography monographs, drawings, zines, and other print material. The fair, which is free and open to the public, runs from 11 am to 7 pm on Saturday, April 2, and from 11 am to 5 pm on Sunday, April 3. PPABF steps into the breach left by the LA Art Book Fair, offering LA-area residents the opportunity to engage with avant-garde publishing, book art, and creative expression in print.
PPABF officially kicks off at the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College on Thursday, March 31 with a presentation by Cal Poly Pomona lecturer of photography Lorena Turner, who will discuss the changes in visual culture created by COVID-19. On Friday, April 1, the Benton will host an artist talk and book signing by internationally celebrated photographer and director—and one of Netflix’s LA Originals—Estevan Oriol. These two events are also free and open to the public.
FULL SCHEDULE
Thursday, March 31
6–8 pm
Talk by Lorena Turner, Cal Poly Pomona lecturer of photography
Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College
120 West Bonita Avenue, Claremont
Friday, April 1
6–8 pm
Talk and book signing by photographer Estevan Oriol
Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College
120 West Bonita Avenue, Claremont
*Oriol’s publications Bosozoku: Japanese Biker Gangs, This Is Los Angeles, and LA Portraits available for purchase at event*
Saturday, April 2
11 am–7 pm
Print Pomona Art Book Fair
Edmunds Ballroom in the Smith Campus Center of Pomona College
170 East 6th Street, Claremont
Sunday, April 3
11 am–5 pm
Print Pomona Art Book Fair
with a 12 pm zine talk by Ziba Perez, Los Angeles Public Library
Edmunds Ballroom in the Smith Campus Center of Pomona College
170 East 6th Street, Claremont
For the PPABF, the main parking structure is located at 295 East 1st Street. Additional visitor and handicapped parking is available in the Alexander Hall lot (North College Avenue and 6th Street). There is limited street parking along College Avenue.
About Print Pomona Art Book Fair
Print Pomona Art Book Fair (PPABF) is a 501(c)(3) sponsored by The Arts Area and hosted in partnership with the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College. PPABF was founded in 2018 by photographer Julian Lucas with the goal of promoting the recognition, distribution, and awareness of artists’ books and other publications by artists within the region of the Pomona Valley.
About The Arts Area
The Arts Area provides fiscal sponsorship, professional development, resource support, and civic advocacy to develop and support economic sustainability and equitable access in the creative industries of San Bernardino, Riverside, and East Los Angeles Counties. The Arts Area vision of “Making Art Work For Everyone” focuses on the importance of equitable representation and access in the arts. This involves opening access to academic and economic resources that would not otherwise be available to artists and students in underserved communities, thus engaging in three central themes of economic and social justice: equitable access, opportunity, and personal accomplishment. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, The Arts Area provides a model that is accessible and relevant to the specific needs of the diverse communities in the Greater Inland Empire. The arts have a strong social power, but that power can only reach its full potential when combined with social awareness. This is important and at the core of The Arts Area mission.
About the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College
Now housed in the new Benton Museum of Art designed by Machado Silvetti and Gensler, Pomona College’s collection of art numbers 17,000 objects, including Italian Renaissance paintings from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation; works on paper, including a first edition print series by Francisco Goya given by Norton Simon; and works in various media produced in Southern California in the twentieth century. In keeping with Pomona College’s reputation as a leading center of the visual arts, the collection also includes works by such esteemed alumni as Chris Burden ’69, Marcia Hafif ’51, Helen Pashgian ’56, Peter Shelton ’73, and James Turrell ’65. Recognized globally for its commitment to contemporary art, the museum is the home of The Project Series, which has featured more than 50 contemporary Southern California artists since it began in 1999. Through its collaboration with students and faculty, the museum encourages active learning and creative exploration across all disciplines of study within the liberal arts context.