Symposium &
Welcome Day Events
Tropic Bound Artists’ Book Fair kicks off its second edition with a day of welcome events, talks and a big party on Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Shuttle Tours
Thursday, Feb 6
10am-2pm
Join Tropic Bound for a glimpse into the literary art hot spots of Miami, as we tour through special collections, galleries, artist-run spaces, studios and more.
Shuttle tours will depart from Paradise Plaza in the Miami Design District on Thursday, Feb 6, at 10am, and return to the plaza at 2pm.
Bindery Tour
Extra Virgin Press, letterpress and book arts studio, with artist and printmaker Tom Virgin
EXILE Projects, an artist book publisher, community organizer, and experimental art space
Miami Paper & Printing Museum, a public access printmaking and book arts studio, exclusive tour and talk from founder Ingrid Schindall
D&B Book Binders, a family team specializing in printing and binding hardcover books, dissertations, and more, serving South Florida for over 60 years
Limited seats available.
UM / Books & Books Tour
Special Collections at University of Miami, exclusive tour with Director Cristina Favretto
Cuban Heritage Collection at University of Miami
Books & Books, Miami’s award-winning independent bookstore in Coral Gables, with tour by Mitch Kaplan, owner of Books & Books, former president of the American Booksellers Association and co-founder of the Miami Book Fair International, the largest book fair in the United States
Limited seats available.
*Routes subject to change
Symposium
Thursday, Feb 6
4-6pm
The Tropic Bound 2025 Symposium takes place at Palm Court Plaza, 140 NE 39 Street, 3rd Floor, in the Miami Design District on Thursday, Feb 6, from 4-6pm.
The Tropic Bound 2025 Symposium is generously sponsored by Vamp and Tramp Booksellers.
Keynote Speaker, Stephanie Stillo,
Chief of Rare Book and Special Collections Division,
US Library of Congress
Stillo will deliver the Tropic Bound 2025 keynote speech, Beyond the Build: Integrating Art into Special Collections, discussing the significance of book arts to special collection libraries.
In 2023 Stephanie Stillo assumed the country’s head librarian position - Chief of Rare Book and Special Collections Division at the US Library of Congress, where she leads the development, stewardship, interpretation, promotion and service of the collection to meet the needs of government officials, scholars and the public. Prior to her appointment in 2023, she held the position of curator of the Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection and Aramont Library. Stillo holds a Ph.D. in modern European history and specializes in the history of printmaking and historical book illustration. She has a particular interest in the visual intersection of art, literature and poetry in modern and contemporary artist books.
The Rare Book and Special Collections Division is the largest collection of rare books in North America. Spanning eras and subjects, its holdings include nearly 1 million books, broadsides, pamphlets, theater playbills, title pages, prints, posters, photographs, and medieval and Renaissance manuscripts. At the center of the collection is President Thomas Jefferson's library, which was sold to Congress in 1815. In addition to the Collection, Stillo also oversees the division’s popular video series “From the Vaults” and co-manages the division’s blog, Bibliomania.
Panel Discussion: Beyond the Binding: How Artists’ Books are Made Today
with Emily Martin, Stephen Pittelkow, Sol Rébora, and Mark Sarigianis
Tropic Bound is an international fair with the mission to champion artists’ books. What makes an artists’ book different from a regular book? One of the main differences between an artists’ book and any other book is the intention that goes into every aspect of its creation. When embarking on the project of making a book, artists have a dizzying array of techniques, materials, and communication strategies to employ. In this panel we will hear from book artists and makers with diverse approaches to their practices. Attendees will gain insight into what really goes into planning and making an object that bridges the worlds of books and art.
Live Readings: S Apostrophe S Artist Book Reading Series
with Islam Aly, Tia Blassingame, Irene Chan, and Skye Tafoya, organized by AB Gorham and Aaron Cohick.
Welcome Party
Thursday, Feb 6
6-8pm
Join us at Palm Court event space, Thursday, Feb 6, 6-8pm, to meet and greet with exhibitors, artists, collectors, enthusiasts, and publishers while enjoying the Miami sunset from our rooftop garden terrace.
The Tropic Bound 2025 Welcome Party is generously sponsored by Lux Mentis, Booksellers.
