Artist Talk with Johanna Drucker

Join the Long Beach Museum of Art for a special artist talk with Johanna Drucker, acclaimed author, book artist, and visual theorist, in conjunction with the exhibition The California Effect: New Books from the California Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers. Drucker will explore the evolving field of book arts, reflecting on how California’s distinct environment and creative spirit shape artistic practice and material innovation.

With a career spanning decades at the intersection of art, design, and scholarship, Drucker’s work examines the visual and conceptual dimensions of the book as an art form. Currently, the Martin and Bernard Breslauer Professor at UCLA, she is a leading voice in visual studies and digital aesthetics and was recently elected to the American Philosophical Society.

The California Effect brings together 29 artists presenting 54 unique works that reimagine the book through handmade materials and inventive forms. This conversation offers an inspiring look at how artists transform the tactile and textual into expressions of place, identity, and imagination.

*Ticket prices reflect LBMA gallery admission pricing. Day-of in-person tickets available (while supplies last).

About the Artist

Johanna Drucker (born May 30, 1952) is an American author, book artist, visual theorist, and cultural critic. Her scholarly writing documents and critiques visual language: letterforms, typography, visual poetry, art, and lately, digital art aesthetics. She is currently the Martin and Bernard Breslauer Professor in the Department of Information Studies at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA. In 2023, she was elected to the American Philosophical Society.