A Journey of Art Through Paper and Time
What is a Masterpiece?
A masterpiece is defined as “a work of outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship and/or a piece of work by a craftsman accepted as qualification for membership of a guild as an acknowledged master.” When we think of a masterpiece, what often comes to mind is a painting, a sculpture, or a wood carving—something that is created in the mind and then built carefully over time until the vision is realized. This is the story of how Friesens, Garda Paper, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Anikó Szabó Design came together to create a masterpiece that not only showcases fine art but also elevates the art of bookmaking itself.
The Vision
In the beginning, our goal was clear: we wanted to create a piece of art in book form to help Friesens’ sales and marketing teams serve the museum publishing community. This book would feature Friesens Premier Print Experience, Garda papers, and the fine art from the Art Institute of Chicago.
The biggest challenge we faced was demonstrating the results of Friesens Premier Print Experience and Garda papers to clients. But first, let’s delve into the background of this partnership.
The Idea
The idea was born at the 2023 National Museum Publishing Seminar in Chicago. Friesens was exhibiting alongside several other printers from North America and Europe. During the event, Garda highlighted that Friesens offered only three types of paper (GardaMatt Art, GardaGloss Art, and GardaPat 13), while many European printers offered nine. Over dinner, Scott Sinnett, Book Regional Sales Manager for the US, and Paul Cibulka, Great Lakes Territory Sales Representative, discussed the possibility of creating a “show-stopping” book featuring Garda paper and Friesens’ bookmaking expertise. Garda agreed, and the vision was then shared with the Art Institute of Chicago, who were enthusiastic about participating.
These particular clients are museum publishers who produce catalogues of their exhibits. The catalogues serve a dual purpose: as both souvenirs for visitors and scholarly references for those studying the featured artists or processes. It was clearly an honour to be involved in a printing project of this magnitude.
The Challenge
However, there was a slight complication—successful execution of the book printing process requires customer approval and participation in every step of the Premier Print Experience, preferably in-person. The distance presented a challenge, with 1300 km separating Friesens’ book printing facility and the Art Institute of Chicago, making it difficult to be present through all the critical steps such as:
- Color management and proof approval
- Press checks
- Bindery approval by Friesens and the customer (casemaking, binding, packaging, shipping)
- Material selection
Despite the long-distance relationship, there continued to be good communication throughout the entire project. Although in-person presence was not necessary for each step, such as the color proofing stage and corrections, everyone was happy with the end result!
The Partner Perspective
It was interesting to see the perspective from our friends and partners at the Art Institute of Chicago through the various stages of this project. Elizabeth Upenieks, Production Coordinator, and Lauren Makholm, Director of Production, made the following comments:
“Paul Cibulka first introduced us to this project at NMPS in 2023 and it really piqued our interest. When choosing a printer to work with, our main criteria have always been print quality, communication, and price. Friesens met our needs for this project, especially given their relationship with Garda. The book serves as a sample with our artworks reproduced on multiple types of Garda paper, which is helpful in the design process for future projects.”
They also enjoyed the whole Friesens experience and wanted to convey their gratitude in this way:
“We were pleased with Friesens’ excitement and commitment to the project and our favourite part was working alongside the great staff in Altona— (shout-out to Glenda)! Friesens is now our go-to printing solution in North America because of their location, price, and the wonderful people to work with. They print beautiful art books so quickly and efficiently; we will continue to quote projects with Friesens and consider them a top contender for our North American printing needs.”
The End Result
Regarding the challenge we faced in the beginning in terms of demonstrating this one-of-a-kind book to clients, you will be pleased to know that the resulting art book is now being used by Friesens’ sales and marketing teams to enhance their selling efforts.
And so, the collaboration between Friesens, Garda Paper, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Anikó Szabó Design resulted in a stunning art book that not only showcases fine art but also exemplifies the pinnacle of printing excellence. This project is a testament to what can be achieved when vision, expertise, and passion come together. We look forward to many more masterpieces in the future!
