About the Collector

Mary Austin has been a supporter and advocate for printing and the Book Arts for over 30 years. As the first Curator and Assistant Director of the Museum of Printing History in Houston, Austin fell in love with the diverse forms of printing. She moved to San Francisco in the mid 80's and began work with the Printing Industries of Northern California.

In 1989 she started the Underground Press and in 1996 she co-founded the San Francisco Center for the Book. The Center has been an outlet for many local and international print-makers and artists to come and teach, as well as, learn the various forms involved in bookmaking.

The collection that Austin has amassed is strongest in the area of alternative book structures. It ranges from flag books, scrolls, accordion and carousel structures, to book objects & altered books.Austin currently sits on the Board at the SFCB and she is an active member of many local printmaking and book organizations. When it comes to the topic of the book in all its forms, Mary Austin is not only an advocate for educating the world on these fascinating structures; she is a connoisseur.

About the Exhibition Curator

Daisy Carlson founded Daisy Arts in 1992 to support the integrity of hand made Italian crafts and book making arts in retail markets. Her designs have been sold in major department stores and museums around the world. Carlson's focus has always been to produce timeless product that will last for generations. Her family and wedding albums are a staple in Hollywood. Her work is in the homes of most stars, at least three presidents and several sheiks. Her journals have inspired the melodies of artists from Graham Nash to Train. She has designed product for the The Uffizi, Florence; Vatican Secret Archives, Rome; The Tate, London; The Met, NY; The Getty, Los Angeles. The integrity of handmade albums and journals is always a central part of her retail collections.

Carlson's concern for the state of the environment and the paramount importance of solving climate challenges have led her to develop a retail model that supports fair-trade initiatives and deep systems sustainable development. She stresses the importance of achieving carbon neutrality in commerce and manufacturing. Her product offerings are currently marketed under the name BeDeLightful. She has recently founded Root For Peace a non profit that supports school gardens through the sale of California native plants.

Carlson has also produced a film and published several photo essays on the plight of children in East Africa. She hopes to clarify the connection between climate issues and sustainable development and our retail markets here. "Aid matters, the type of aid matters more. We can end hunger in our lifetime with a robust carbon market that supports deep system sustainable development." If you would like to have a conversation or help in these issues please feel free to contact Miss Carlson at daisy@bedelightful.com

Special thanks to
  
Kathleen Burch (co-founder, SFCB) for her endless energy, fantastic exhibition typography
and graphic design.

Enjoy the Show!