CONTEMPORARY LETTERPRESS PRINT EXCHANGE
The Printing Museum in collaboration with Thomas Printers and Partners in Print invited contemporary artists from around the world to participate in a print exchange with the theme Hope is Action. Over 50 artists submitted printed works inspired by this theme — diverse in style, content, and printing technique. What’s assembled is a survey of the breadth and depth of contemporary letterpress printing taking place around the world.
How did the idea for the Hope is Action print exhange come about?
Jessica Snow: I attended the virtual Ladies of Letterpress 2020 conference last fall. The conference has been growing since its inception in 2011 and is a welcoming gathering of a diverse group of people from all gender expressions and printing backgrounds: enthusiast to professional printer. During the last day, guest speaker Jenny Wilkson, founder of Partners in Print, shared how they were emerging out of the devastating closure of the letterpress program at the School of Visual Concepts in Seattle, brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst feelings of uncertainty and loss, but knowing she wanted to find a path forward, Wilkson was gently reminded by a neighbor, “Hope is not an emotion, it’s an action.”
The zoom chat immediately lit up in conversation as participants were inspired by this simple, but profound idea. A few people wrote, “you [Wilkson] need to print that!” That’s when I got the idea and shared that this quote could be an inspiring idea for a print exchange. That idea also garnered enthusiasm.
What is a print exchange?
JS: Print exchanges harness the collective energy
and creation of individual prints on a theme or specific parameter. This act of creating and sharing on the theme of hope felt like it would be a powerful embodiment of the quote’s meaning. For those unfamiliar with print exchanges, printers create a specific number of prints roughly equal to the number of participants. Those prints are sent to one location where they are collated and then sent back to each participant printer who receives a copy of all the other prints.
Was it hard to organize?
JS: It was easy to get started. At the close of the conference I reached out to Wilkson and to Ladies of Letterpress co-founder Kseniya Thomas who both offered support, and the Hope Is Action print exchange organization got underway. By the end of December 2020, more than 50 participants had signed up and by early January 2021 the first prints began arriving at The Printing Museum for collation. We had our challenges; there were a lot of details to keep track of, including collating, packing, and shipping the prints to all the participants.
Was there always a plan to exhibit the prints?
JS: As the prints started arriving at TPM, it became clear that this body of work needed to be seen by an even broader audience as the theme resonated with viewers and participants. The exhibit is also an excellent example of the breadth and variety of letterpress printing that is being currently done by printers around the globe. It speaks to the ongoing vibrancy of the medium as both an art and a tool for engendering positive change.
The exhibit is on view through December 11, 2021. View the virtual exhibit.