Closer Reading: Three Bay Area Book Artists is presented by the San Francisco Advocacy for the National Museum of Women in the Arts as part of Women to Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution. Women to Watch is NMWA's triennial exhibition series featuring national and international artists whose work is underrepresented on the global stage.

Each artist in Closer Reading represents a different definition of “the book as art,” and a distinct approach to working with artist’s books as their primary medium. Vivian Sming orchestrates every aspect of their publishing work as an artistic practice, Macy Chadwick is dedicated to the fine craft and design of book arts and letterpress printing, while Kate Laster channels book and text forms into the political sphere of activist artmaking. Their works invite connection and sensory experience. As community builders, each also supports other artists through the convivial, critical, and political spaces of the book.

Closer Reading is curated by Anthea Black, Associate Professor of Printmedia and Graduate Fine Arts at CCA, with support from the San Francisco Advocacy for the National Museum of Women in the Arts.