Radius Books

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Radius Books
Founded2007
FounderDavid Chickey, Darius Himes, David Skolkin, Joanna Hurley
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationSanta Fe, New Mexico
DistributionDistributed Art Publishers
Key peopleDavid Chickey
Nonfiction topicsArt and Photography Publishing
Official websitewww.radiusbooks.org

Radius Books is a non-profit art book publishing company, with a focus on photography, fine art and monographs, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico.[1] Co-publishing partners include David Zwirner Gallery, Harvard Peabody Museum Press, Temple University Press, Art Institute of Chicago, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Contemporary Austin, and Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.

History[edit]

Radius Books was established in 2007 by David Chickey, publisher, editor, and book designer; Darius Himes, editor; David Skolkin, production; and Joanna Hurley, marketing and public relations.[2] The impetus to found a non-profit publisher arose, in part, from the issue of library budget cuts in the early 2000s, which adversely affected the sales of art books.[3]

Donation Program[edit]

Radius Books donates copies of every book published to school, public and university libraries, and arts organizations across the United States.[4] Currently, Radius serves 527 institutions and schools in all 50 US states, donating 300 to 400 copies of one book at a time. Since its founding, Radius founder and Creative Director David Chickey estimates that the non-profit has donated nearly 40,000 books, especially targeting rural and underserved libraries.[5] Ash Creek Elementary School District, Denver Public Library, New Mexico State University Library, and Memphis College of Art are a few of Radius Books' donation recipients.[6]

Titles[edit]

Radius Books published 4 titles in their first year. From 2008 to 2010, they doubled their production, publishing 8 titles. Since 2011, Radius has published 15 to 20 titles each year, ranging from monographs on historical and contemporary artists as well as featuring museum collections and exhibitions[7]

Awards[edit]

Since its founding, Radius Books has been recognized with multiple design and publishing awards. From 2010-2015, Radius was selected eight times for the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts)/The Design Observer Group '50 Books/ 50 Covers' competition, which is the longest running design competition in the United States. In 2010, Michael Light: LA Day/LA Night and David Taylor: Working the Line were recognized for their inventive cover designs.[8] In 2012, Fred Sandback, published in conjunction with David Zwirner Gallery, was an AIGA book selection.[citation needed] Janelle Lynch: Barcelona and Stephen Dupont: Piksa Niugini, both from 2013, garnered a cover selection and book selection, respectively.[citation needed] In 2014, Covert Operations Investigating the Known Unknowns and James Drake: 1242, both published in conjunction with Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego, were selected books.[citation needed] The Meadow, which debuted in 2015, was a noted book selection.[citation needed] The Independent Publisher Book Awards has also recognized Radius Books for excellence in publishing. In 2014, Mitakuye Oyasin, by Aaron Huey, won a gold medal in the photography division.[9] The following year, Julie Blackmon: Homegrown won a silver medal for photography.[10] American Alliance of Museums Publishing Publications Design Competition has recognized Radius Books for "superior execution and ingenuity in graphic design of museum publications" in 2013, 2014 and 2015.[11] The Publishers Association of the West has also recognized Radius Books with a book design award.[citation needed] International Center of Photography recognized Radius with an Infinity Award for best photographic book of the year.[citation needed] In 2014, Time listed three Radius Books in their Guide to the Best Fall Photobooks, including Julie Blackmon: Homegrown, Laura Letinsky: Ill Form and Full Void, and Michael Light: Lake Las Vegas/Black Mountain.[12] Kevin Bubriski's Nepal: 1975-2011 was recognized with a New England Book Show Award.[citation needed]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Reid, Calvin (17 November 2008). "Art and Altruism: Radius Books". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  2. ^ "The home team: Local services help writers get polished, published, and promoted". 6 February 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  3. ^ Medford, Sarah (2016-02-23). "At Home With David Chickey". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
  4. ^ Kohlhaase, Bill (20 September 2013). "Donation, donation, donation: Radius Books combines art, design, and public giving". Pasatiempo. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  5. ^ "Full circle: Radius Books celebrates its artists". Retrieved 2016-08-18.
  6. ^ "Darius Himes, Publisher- Radius Books". 25 June 2008. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  7. ^ Hayes, Tracy (12 March 2013). "Shelf Life: Radius Books". Neiman Marcus Daily. Archived from the original on 17 August 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ "AIGA Design Archives". designarchives.aiga.org.
  9. ^ "2014 Independent Publisher Book Awards Results". Independent Publisher - feature.
  10. ^ Publishing, Recognizing Excellence in Independent. "2015 Independent Publisher Book Awards Results". Independent Publisher - feature.
  11. ^ "American Alliance of Museums' Publications Competition". www.aam-us.org. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  12. ^ "TIME Special Preview: A Guide to the Best Fall Photobooks". Time.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]