Each year, Special Collections at RISD Library hosts a juried student artists' book contest to promote engagement with the book arts, investigation of the Library's artists' book collection, and creative production in the book form at RISD. The contest and accompanying exhibition attract on average 45 submissions from RISD undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students. All of the entries are displayed in the annual Library exhibit. A team of RISD faculty members and professional artists serves as juror(s), selecting prize winners from the submissions. All purchase prizes receive a cash reward, and the selected student-made artists' books become part of the Library's collection. This year is the 12th installment of this program.
In 2014 when I first started in Special Collections we began conversations about outreach and the idea of an artists’ book contest was born. The late Jan Baker, Graphic Design Professor was one of the first jurors for the original contest in 2015. After the contest we debriefed and Jan asked what was the greatest obstacle for this contest to continue. I said money. A few months pasted and I was informed that we had received an anonymous gift so that we could continue the contest. I would find out later, it was Jan’s gift.
In Jan’s words “The aim of this competition is to encourage faculty in all mediums at RISD to use the Artists’ Book Collection as inspiration for their classes; in addition, for students to be stimulated by the collection to create their own Artists’ Books.”
Starting with the 5th year, the contest is named for Jan Baker and Laurie Whitehill, the former Special Collections Librarian. Recognizing their legacy and their combined 60 years of dedication and passion in the field of Book Arts.
Claudia Covert, Special Collections Librarian
Claudia Covert
Special Collections
Fleet Library, 2nd Floor, Room 201
401-709-5923
We are pleased to announce that Gabrielle Reed is this year's juror.
Gabrielle Reed is an art librarian and photographer. She has worked at Massachusetts College of Art and Design for the past 18 years. There she teaches artists’ books and photobooks from the MassArt library special collections.
She was born and raised in Jamestown, RI – Conanicut Island, which is the focus of much of her artistic work. Her current work revolves around the aquaculture of where she lives. The main focus of her research is on the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians.
She has a BFA in photography from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and an MS from Simmons College.
RISD undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students are
invited to enter an artists' book they have completed in the past year
(December 2024 - December 2025).
The winning purchase prizes will be added to the
Fleet Library at RISD's Artists' Book collection.
Entries are due by Friday, December 12, 2025 at 4pm.
Fill out the online entry form and bring your artists’ book to:
Archives and Special Collections Reading Room
Fleet Library, 2nd Floor, Room 201
Hours: Monday - Friday
8:30-noon and 1-4:30 pm
Items not added to the Fleet Library at RISD collection can be picked after the exhibit comes down (May 1) and by the end of the semester. If this is not possible please contact us to make arrangements.
By submitting an entry from, you are acknowledging that you are exhibiting your work at your own risk, and releasing RISD, and their employees, from any and all liability for your work. In addition, you are granting permission for any images, video, or other digital forms of the submitted work to be used for publicity, promotion or any other purposes deemed desirable by the Fleet Library at RISD. This includes, but is not limited to, use within the library or RISD, library websites, and social networking websites. You also understand that if your entry is selected, it will be included in the Library’s Collection and will not be returned.