Judith Serling-Sturm was a freelance essayist without a fine arts background when she apprenticed to a hand binder whose specialty was exposed bindings. She was instantly captivated by the textures of the art form, as well as the way that exposed bindings in book arts elevate the efforts and magnifies the beauty of “keeping it together.” In her work, in both traditional and non-traditional form, binding technique, structure, and materials as well as content are equal players in the communication of an idea.

Serling-Sturm’s artist books are exhibited in shows around the country. Her work often addresses issues of social justice and the natural world. Three of her works in the permanent collection of the Cincinnati Public Library.

Serling-Sturm accepts commissions for custom handmade books for manuscripts, collections, and milestone events. She also creates blank journals which she sells from her studio a the Pendleton Arts Center and at Gallery 708, both in Cincinnati, OH.

She teaches binding techniques in her studio to all ages and has been a visiting artist in classrooms up and down the east coast. She wrote the book arts curriculum for the Washington DC Waldorf School and taught in their high school as well as conducting workshops at the DC Children’s Museum and the Museum for Women in the Arts.

Serling-Sturm is a board member and former president of the Cincinnati Book Arts Society. In addition, she is a participating artist in the Taft Museum’s Artist Reaching Classroom (ARC) program.