Five GA artists boldly redefining + challenging the boundaries of the book as an artistic medium
Eliza Bentz, Serena Perrone, Cynthia Nourse Thompson (Curator), Hannah Israel, Eileen Wallace, and Cynthia Lollis | Photo Credit: Kim Link Photography
ATLANTA — Five women who demonstrate significant creativity and innovation in contemporary book arts, with work that pushes boundaries and reimagines the nature of books.
These talented artists engage with the rich and intricate history of bookmaking while also exploring the vast possibilities of the form—structurally, conceptually, and politically. It is a privilege to witness such innovative practices that embody resilience, experimentation, and the transformative power of storytelling in its many varied expressions. — Cynthia Nourse Thompson, Consulting Curator
Cynthia Lollis (Decatur, GA)
Eileen Wallace (Athens, GA)
Eliza Bentz (Savannah, GA)
Hannah Israel (Columbus, GA)
Serena Perrone (Atlanta, GA)
ABOUT OUR CURATOR
Cynthia Nourse Thompson has curated more than 50 exhibitions since 2000. Prior to her current role as professor and Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art at Kennesaw State University, Thompson was associate professor and director of the graduate programs in book arts and printmaking and studio art at University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has also served as associate professor and curator of exhibitions at University of Arkansas and curator and consulting director of visual arts at the Walton Arts Center both located in Fayetteville, Arkansas; twelve years as professor of book, print and paper arts and chair of fine arts at Memphis College of Art; and additionally worked at Dieu Donné Papermill, Harlan & Weaver Intaglio and Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper now the Brodsky Center at PAFA. Thompson has been awarded numerous residencies including Yaddo, Columbia College Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts, Women’s Studio Workshop, Visual Studies Workshop, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Penland Winter Residencies, and a Maker-Creator Fellowship at Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library. She also served as a visiting scholar and printer in residence with her collaborator David Charles Chioffi at the Bodleian Bibliographical Press in Oxford U.K. in May 2022. Thompson has also been visiting faculty at University of Georgia’s study abroad program in Cortona, Italy and Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence, Italy. Thompson received her BFA in printmaking from the Maryland Institute College of Art and her MFA from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
A Book Arts Revolution: Georgia Women to Watch is hosted by the Atlanta Contemporary
February 1 - May 17, 2026
February 1, 2026 — 12 pm: Artist + Curator Talk [open to the public] | 5-7 pm: VIP Opening Reception at Atlanta Contemporary [ticketed event]
May 2026: Public announcement of the Georgia Artist selected to participate in NMWA’s Women to Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution Exhibition
April 2027: Women to Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution opens to the public at NMWA
Georgia Public Broadcasting Feature: “What is Book Arts? Five GA Artists Explain the Form”
GPB's Kristi York Wooten speaks with curator Cynthia Nourse Thompson and the artists featured in the Georgia Women to Watch exhibition to learn about the process of creating fine art books.
Follow our Instagram for ongoing updates about the Women to Watch program!
Women to Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution (NMWA)
Click below to learn more about the National presentation of Women to Watch: A Book Arts Revolution, happening Spring 2027 at NMWA in Washington D.C.
