SMSU alumnus Micah Bloom visited on April 6 and 8 for a showing of his self-directed short film, “Codex,” and a printmaking session sponsored by the SMSU Art Club. Bloom’s film features the collection and restoration of books lost in the flooding of the Souris River in Minot, North Dakota.

“Codex involves the collecting and documenting of hundreds of books that were relocated by a massive flood…they are the Bible, novels, classics, manuals, textbooks, etc. that were on the streets, in the fields, and underwater,” Bloom said.

Prior to his success with the film, Bloom graduated from SMSU in 1999 with degrees in art education and elementary school education. He then went on to teach art in St. Paul, before earning his MFA at the University of Iowa. Bloom is now an art professor at Minot State University. His featured mediums are printmaking, oil painting, mixed media, and drawing.

Originally premiering in 2013, “Codex” is just one part of the larger exhibition that has been featured around the country. Other parts of the installation include recovered physical books, dirt, photographs, and other materials used to restore the lost books.

“Codex” has received worldwide recognition and praise. It received the “Grand Prize Winner” award in the art magazine, The Curator and Ruminate, in the short film division.

Following the screening of the film, Bloom hosted a personal Q&A session where he gave background on his project.

“When I was a child, my parents instilled in me a reverence for books. Books couldn’t be stepped on, sat on, or abused, because…they played some indispensable role that demanded respect and preservation,” said Bloom.

The Digital Press, a publisher based out of the University of North Dakota, plans to release a book based on “Codex” later this year.