Frances Butler


Frances C. Butler is an American book artist and educator. Butler received her B.A. in History at the University of California, Berkeley in 1961, her M.A. in History at Stanford University in 1963, and a second M.A. in Design at UC Berkeley in 1966. She was a professor at UC Berkeley from 1968–70, and began teaching at UC Davis in 1970. She ran Goodstuffs Handprinted Fabric from 1973–79, and co-founded Poltroon Press with Alastair Johnston in 1975.

Poltroon Press

The Poltroon Press was one of several influential small presses in the San Francisco Bay Area, along with Rebis Press and Five Trees Press, which began their publishing and teaching activities during the mid-1970s.

Minnesota Center for Book Arts

Butler was the first visiting lecturer at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts and "spoke of book arts in terms of re-defining tradition," challenging the center to adopt a more forward-thinking mission.

Selected solo & group exhibitions

1981
1979
1978
1977
1975
1973
1970