It’s that time of year. Baseball season is over, the Olympics a vague memory, and this year’s election–history in the making.

Also, it’s the time of year for the AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers show. For those of us who work and live in the book trade, our hearts beat a little faster. Now is the time the fruits of our labor come into the market and jostle for your attention on the tables at bookstores, and flicker across one of your bookmarked web sites.

It’s the sixth year running that we have partnered with the AIGA San Francisco chapter and the San Francisco Center for the Book to stage the AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers show. Once again, we will open the doors of our lobby for the public to see–and be seen–browsing this juried selection.

About the jury

This year the jury comprised of:
• Antonio Alcala’, Studio A, Alexandria, VA
• Marc Blaustein, New York Public Library, NY
• Nancy Ovedovitz, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT
• Cheryl Towler Weese, Studio Blue, Chicago, IL

A bit of history

Since 1924, the AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers competition has recognized excellence in book design and production. Categories range from trade, reference and juvenile books to university and museum publications and include limited-edition and special format books.

Each year the show is donated to the Rare Book and Manuscript Collection of Columbia University, which houses the AIGA award-winning books dating back to 1923. Starting in 2004, another set of the show has a permanent home at the Denver Art Museum in Colorado.

Show time

Today the AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers exhibition opened to the public. It was installed with the able assistance of Jenna Cushner, the fleet-footed logistics of Anna Carollo, and the spirited tri-color graphics of Laura Bagnato.

For those of you in the Bay Area–or beyond if you happen to be visiting San Francisco–you’re invited to the opening reception Friday, November 14, 2008 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. The place: 680 Second Street (near the corner of Townsend), San Francisco.

Following are a few photographs of the books and covers and exhibition graphics.

Welcome to the AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers show. Exhibition graphics by Chronicle Books designer, Laura Bagnato.

A sampling of the 50 Covers gallery.

Unusual cover material treatment from a German entry.

The art of the book is alive and well–and popping off the page–in this book.

The Chronicle Books retail store will feature books that were selected by the AIGA jury for inclusion in the show, but won’t be selling the AIGA titles.

Michael Carabetta
Creative Director

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