Create your own color harmonies in a book-arts workshop with Esther K. Smith, pioneer designer of handmade books and co-founder of Purgatory Pie Press.  Inspired by the Smithsonian Libraries’ exhibition Color in a New Light, the workshop will include a display of rare books on color theory from the museum’s collection. Participants will create their own handmade artist’s book of color swatches.

Esther K. Smith, author of How to Make Books and Magic Books & Paper Toys, is the artistic director at Purgatory Pie Press, New York City, where she collaborates with hand-typographer Dikko Faust and other artists and writers to produce limited edition artists’ books and ephemera. Purgatory Pie Press editions are in the permanent collections of Cooper Hewitt, MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the V&A, and many other public and private collections throughout the world.


Color in a New Light is made possible by lead sponsor  

Additional funding is provided by The Shepherd Color Company