By Elena M. Sarni

In this book, author Elena M. Sarni explores the Folly Cove Designers' history, work, and group dynamics. The Folly Cove Designers (officially 1941-1969) was a grassroots collective of predominantly women block printers founded by Caldecott Award-winner and beloved children’s book author/illustrator Virginia Lee Burton Demetrios (of Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel fame). As the first comprehensive history of the Folly Cove Designers, Trailblazing Women Printmakers documents and celebrates the group’s tremendous success and the incredible artistry of its members.

This trailblazing Gloucester, MA–based group produced more than three hundred distinct designs, which they block printed on fabric. The designs conveyed personal and regional narratives through the use of shared design principles and the compelling language of pattern. The group was propelled to international fame through commercial contracts with major retailers (F. Schumacher, Lord & Taylor, etc.), articles in leading periodicals such as Life, and participation in seminal fine craft exhibitions. Their work continues to inspire contemporary printmakers around the globe, particularly women printmakers.

Hardcover, 224 pages, 7.75 x 0.75 x 10". Color and Black & White; 250+ Photographs.

Copyright 2023 Elena M. Sarni with Princeton Architectural Press.

Trailblazing Women Printmakers: Virginia Lee Burton Demetrios And The Folly Cove Designers

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