The Bay Area is one of the best places for the book arts, and now is your chance to immerse yourself in the future of the book as art. Artists’ books have provided a dynamic crossroads between the literary and visual arts for centuries, from William Blake to Xu Bing. Contemporary book artists create work that often has one foot in the historic traditions of book production and the graphic arts, and the other in contemporary practice and innovation.

One organization that has significantly contributed to this aspect of arts and culture in the Bay is The CODEX Foundation. It is celebrating its 20th anniversary as an arts nonprofit in Berkeley and announcing its 10th International Biennial Book Art Fair & Symposium taking place this February 7-10, 2026, at the Oakland Marriott City Center. Four days of exhibitors from around the world, — including Turkey, Belgium, France, Spain, Germany, Finland, the UK, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Egypt — will address contemporary issues from different perspectives on the rich history and contemporary practice of the book as a work of art. It is a place where craft and concept unite into exemplary works of art. At this event, you can meet the creators of these fine works of art and view examples of artists’ books, fine press publications, and limited-edition small press publications.

This work includes a combination of mixed media practices: fine and experimental letterpress printing and typography, a variety of printmaking techniques, photographic processes, hand paper making and marbling, fine bookbinding, alternative book structures, and painterly works of calligraphic wonder. Book Art organizations from across the country are represented, as well as student work from various academic institutions, and vendors with supplies and tools. The four-day event is bookended by several days of related activities across the Bay, highlighting other institutions and individuals working to promote the field and to educate the public about the handmade book as a work of art.

The Symposium brings connection, conversation, and a deeper dive into some of the work and ideas our community members are focused on. The first morning’s lectures and discussions will highlight an exhibition titled “Who Is America at 250?” Several artists and curators will discuss this important exhibition of artists’ books and fine press books being shown at the San Francisco Center for the Book. The second morning is a “Focus on France” with a keynote lecture from Marie Minssieux-Chamonard, Chief Curator of 20th and 21st Centuries in Special Collections at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. Claire Illouz will discuss her artist’s books, and Carole Texier will discuss her new project in collaboration with the Atelier du Livre de l’Art & de l’Estampe at the Imprimerie Nationale de France.

The CODEX Foundation exists to preserve and promote the contemporary handmade book as a work of art and to bring to public recognition the artists, the fine craft, and the rich history of the civilization of the book. In the summer of 2022, the organization moved into its new location, The CODEX Foundation Logan Book Arts Center, at 1331 7th Street near Gilman, where they offer lectures, workshops, and events that bring the book arts community together all year round. The facilities boast an extensive book arts reference library that is open to the public. They also have a library of artists’ books and fine press books that are both for sale and used to educate the public, with the bulk of sales going to the artists. Both library collections are open by appointment for individual research and group tours, where a staff member will arrange showings of artists’ books for both groups and individuals. The Foundation also has a strong publishing program with the intent to enrich scholarship and dialogue in the field. They publish a biennial journal about the book arts field, and a series of monograph essays with covers that are letterpress printed in-house from metal and wood type. They feature a dynamic and sharp aesthetic in their design and typography. The Foundation has also produced several catalogs for exhibitions it has curated in other locations that include substantial writing and beautifully photographed work. Tours can also be arranged to include the CODEX letterpress studio, a working museum of letterpress printing equipment. The organization keeps the history, craft, and tradition of typography and printing alive by using these tools of the trade in everything they do.

For more information about the CODEX X International Book Art Fair & Symposium, to join their email newsletter, or for their other programming, please visit their website.