One of the places that makes Portland so quirky and lovable is the CC Stern Type Foundry Museum. Located down near the horse race track, populated with quirky souls mad about metal type and filled with ancient equipment that looks more Rube Goldberg than printer’s craft, it is a treasure to behold. To watch these folks pour molten lead is a step back in time like no other.
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The Wells Book Arts Summer Institute at Wells College in Aurora, NY always has a top-notch lineup of teachers every summer. This year's roster will be of great interest to fans of our current show in the gallery, Ink + Paper + Metal, celebrating letterpress printing and the CC Stern Type Foundry Museum.
Letterpress fans will be particularly interested in: Typecasting and Monotype Composition with Michael Bixler, Understanding the Typographical Punch with Stan Nelson, Daredevil Letterpress: Keeping Your Composure with 23 Sandy Gallery crowd favorite, Jessica Spring and Pressure Printing & Contemporary Letterpress with Brad Vetter.
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UNHINGED: BOOK ART ON THE CUTTING EDGE
September 27, 2015 - January 3, 2016, Lightcatcher Building Whatcom Museum Bellingham, Washington
From the museum: "This exhibition surveys recent directions in book art through 70 diverse works by 60 prominent artists in the field from across the country, including Great Britain and Australia. It explores the limitless potential of the book as an independent, creative medium through both intimately-scaled pieces and large installations. Many artists carve old volumes or twist their pages into unique, sculptural configurations.
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Today's holiday Gifty Pick is by Tacoma, Washington-based letterpress printer and book artist Jessica Spring. The full title of this terrific little tome is An Inflammatory Guide to Banned and Challenged Books You Should Read. It's neon orange cover and ink in a matchbook style will really make you think about what's happening even in censorship today—consider The Hunger Games, for example, a current hit book and movie that has been challenged many time across the country.
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Rags to Riches: A Capitalist Flexagon by Jessica Spring. Perfect INKED art to highlight today given the current political campaign madness. This unique "tri-hexaflexagon" is very fun to manipulate.
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Printer's Blocks by Jessica Spring
I love this abecedarian block set by Jessica Spring. It comes is a very cool aluminum box and is one of my favorite pieces in INKED, our current letterpress show. We have the boxed set available online or individual letters can be had in the gallery.
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