SFCB Holiday Event Recap

Back in mid-December, BAACG members got together at the San Francisco Center for the Book (SFCB) to celebrate 2025, catch up, and participate in a few fun hands-on activities utilizing the amazing space and equipment SFCB has available to its students. 

The evening began with a quick bit of Christmas shopping in the Biblioshop, which is full of books and resources on letterpress printing and bookbinding. As well as handmade creations by local artists, including artist books, letterpress printed cards, and merch. 

Bookbinding and letterpress instructor Madison Gordon led half of the attendees through a detailed demonstration of how letterpress printing is done on a Vandercook printing press. Everyone then got a chance to print their own holiday cards. The other half of the attendees participated in a workshop led by bookbinding instructor Clair Emma Smith, where they created a single folio jotter notebook. Each participant had the opportunity to customize their notebook by hot-foil stamping “Potions 2026” on the front cover. The groups then switched so everyone had the opportunity to do both activities.

Afterwards, everyone shared their creations and caught up with colleagues and friends around the snack table, discussing our hopes for 2026, and ended the evening with a champagne toast led by our President, Candis Griggs. It was a lovely evening and a great way to end 2025. 

Thanks so much to the San Francisco Center for the book for hosting us, and we look forward to seeing our BAACG members at our next event, which will be a private tour of the Levi Strauss & Co. Archives and The Vault Museum. We hope you all had a restful and rejuvenating holiday season!