So how do you get trained in letterpress, particularly those who have emailed me in Orange County? There are indeed pockets of fine letterpress printing but I don’t believe our community is as networked as LA, the Bay area and San Diego. Please correct me if I am wrong! In 2007, I was fortunate enough to connect with the fine folks at the Irvine Fine Arts Center to establish the first community-accessible letterpress studio for classes and renting. Several people have rented the studio for wedding invitations and private projects. At present the wonderfully-capable Katy Metz and Jamie Russom are working on increasing class offerings and open studio times. I’ll keep you posted.

We can’t keep up with the demand as most of the letterpress classes have a waiting list. So here are some options for those of you in OC trying to get into all of this.

1. Take letterpress classes from any of the resources listed here. It is worth the drive and expense to take classes from the experts, including Gerald Lange at Otis and Art Center.

I also recommend a two-class session from Madeleine Zygarewicz at the International Printing Museum. This summer you can take Letterpress 1 and 2 which will give you some basic training in hand-set type and polymer plate printing which I assume most of you will be doing for your businesses.
Info and registration here

Contact gary@printmuseum.org if you have any questions about the classes

Nationally there are incredible classes in letterpress worth the effort. Take classes at New York Center for the Book, San Francisco Center for the Book, Minnesota Center for the Book and many other such locations.

2. You design, somebody else prints.
Just want to design and send it out to get printed? There are many, many expert printers who may be able to take your job. I’ll be compiling a list, for OC soon (send me proven, quality printers you trust in OC). There are tons in LA, and Madeleine also prints jobs:

Panorama Press (Madeleine)

3. I’m not set-up yet, but I may be offering classes, studio time and other letterpress workshops at my studio in Laguna Canyon Artists. It won’t be until August most likely. Also I as an organizer, I have an idea to get a workshop on “how to start your own letterpress business”, or add letterpress to your offerings. I’ll connect with my AIGA contacts and see what resources they offer, but it would be great to have such a workshop/conference here in OC. These are just open thoughts, I have no idea if they will materialize. Depends on time and money.

4. Read-up.
Lots of terrific resources on the web. Scope out briarpress and Five Roses listed on my links page.

Join the Letterpress Listserv and read up their “How to get started” section and more.

Remember, it takes a lot of time to be a seasoned, expert letterpress printer. Do not go into letterpress thinking it will happen overnight. There are many considerations that take a keen eye, a knowledge of fine printing and paper and a respect for the history of the craft.

And finally, if you MUST use the L Letterpress tool, discard the plastic plates which break and scratch easily and use polymer plates as described in detail from Boxcar Press here.

**Get Inspired, come to the 2nd Annual Los Angeles Printers Fair and see what locals, hobbyists, professionals and educators or doing in the field.**

The next Los Angeles Printers Fair will be held Saturday, September 25, 2010 from 9 am to 5pm. The fair supports the non-profit International Printing Museum and its educational mission.

The fair is suitable for all ages. General admission is $5; $4 for students. Students, Educators, families, enthusiasts, collectors, typophiles, bibliophiles, graphic designers, artists and professionals will enjoy the varied demonstrations and array of vendors. Children are welcome but need to be accompanied by an adult at all times. Even if you’ve been to the Museum before, you’ll see new vendors and materials at the Fair.

ACTIVITIES RUNNING THROUGHOUT THE DAY INCLUDE:

• Letterpress “Swap Meet:” Don’t miss your chance to buy antique letterpress equipment and everything you need for your own print shop. Type-lovers, graphic designers, artists, printers and members of the public are welcome to ogle over hundreds of cases of type and thousands of pounds of equipment and presses.

• “The First Information Revolution: The Printed Book from Gutenberg to Franklin” To honor this year’s theme, “A Celebration of Paper and Print” we will have a guest collection of rare books. Don’t miss this one-day only exhibition in the Museum’s Gallery! Works include a Book of Hours [1471], Augustine: Civitate Dei [1489], Natali: Catalogus Sanctorum [1514], Angelus de Clavasio: Summa angelica [1519], Chaucer: Canterbury Tales [1561] and much more.

• Ask machinery expert Bill Berkuta and others all your press and equipment questions. Bill is in-demand all over the state, so take advantage of his live consultation at the Fair.

• General Gallery Tours – experience 500 years of printing history as our knowledgeable docents guide you through our collection. Letterpress demonstrations on various presses will be on-going throughout the day.

• Printmaking demonstrations in our back building on-going throughout the day in the back Book Arts Institute.

• “The 40’s Shop” – Travel back in time to experience a 40’s era working print shop. See Windmills, Ludlows, Linotypes, platen presses, proofing presses, a Miehle Vertical and our vast collection of wood and lead type. See slugs cast on our working Linotype operated by Luis Garcia.

• Sit down and enjoy reading in our Library with holdings on printing, papermaking, printmaking, typography and so much more.

• Purchase beautiful letterpress-printed pieces, artist books, gorgeous handmade and commercial paper/envelopes and more from one of our Vendors at the Fair.

• Drinks will be available for purchase.

VENDOR REGISTRATION IS STILL AVAILABLE HERE.

VOLUNTEERS: We need scores of Volunteers for the Fair before, during and afterwards. Volunteers will receive free admission. A Fair Volunteer meeting will be held Saturday, August 7th from 10-11:30am in the Museum’s Heritage Theater. Please RSVP for the meeting to fair@printmuseum.org.

FACEBOOK: The Fair is on Facebook; RSVP on the page today!

LAST YEAR’S FAIR: Check out the AIGA flickr photos from last year’s fair. 2009 Fair at www.laprintersfair.com.

For more information or comments regarding the 2010 Fair, contact the Fair Director Rachelle Chuang at fair@printmuseum.org.

1st prize – Cathy Weiss for “Breathing in the Light”

2nd prize – Macy Chadwick for the “Topography of Home”

3rd prize – Cailyn Matley for the “Petlepop and Baldy the Eagle”

Juror’s Award – Rachelle Chuang for “Fan of Hope”

And Honorable Mention – Jennifer Anderson for “Sensate ii”

Mentioned on the OC Register here (Congratulations Lindsay Buchman for getting her work pictured).

(postcard text below)

ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS
PRINTMAKING & BOOK ARTS EXHIBITION
June 18-July 31, 2010
at the Irvine Fine Arts Center
Juror: Nancy Haselbacher from Otis, Los Angeles

Opening June 18 5-8pm

Artists include:

Jennifer Anderson, Kim Boyce, Lindsay Buchman, Katharine Butler, Christopher Cannon, Macy Chadwick, Rachelle W. Chuang, Randy Clark, Robert Creighton, Raymon DeCicco, Kristen DeGree, Paul Gentry, Shelley Gipson, Amy Guadanoli, Jamie Helt, Yuji Hiratsuka, William Hosterman, Andrew Huot, Terez Iacovino, Alex Jackson, Samantha Kingsbury (one of my 3D students whose altered book is in the show), Eunkang Koh, Anthony Lazorko, Jim Lee, Evan Lindquist, Cailyn Matley, Diane McLeod, Cynthia Milionis, Jared Millar, Michelle Murillo, Aaron Norton, Robert Norton, Kay Obciana, Gualberto Orozco, Robert Pasternak, Ross Racine, Ethan Rice, Merrill Shatzman, Jana Sim, Laurie Szujewska, Chadwick Tolley, Elizabeth Tomasetti, Bob Tomolillo, Frances Watson, Cathy Weiss, Madeleine Zygarewicz

ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS: PRINTMAKING & BOOK ARTS EXHIBITION is a juried exhibition highlighting work from artists in printmaking and bookmaking mediums, including lithography, etching, relief, serigraphy, experimental photo processes, letterpress and book arts.

Guest juror Nancy Haselbacher is an artist, educator and curator whose practice involves the traces of inhabitation in a physical space. Haselbacher is an Associate Professor at Otis College of Art and Design and teaches in the Communication Arts department. She lives and works at her studio Indelible Press in Los Angeles.

The Page Show is traveling to L.A.!!
LA FORUM EVENTS @ WOODBURY HOLLYWOOD EXHIBITIONS
6518 HOLLYWOOD BLVD
LOS ANGELES, CA 90028
May 20-June 12, 2010
Opening May 20, 7-10pm
Gallery Hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 1-5pm

***Photos from the Page Show here***

Download Announcement here.

February 1-March 12, 2010
Monday-Friday 12-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm
**Opening Reception: Tuesday, February 2, 2010 5:30pm**
The Page
Curated by Karin Lanzoni & Rachelle W. Chuang
For this survey exhibition, over thirty artists from a broad range of studio art practices were asked to submit one page (in the original or poster format) from their artists’ book to mount on the walls of the gallery. Accompanying original books or facsimiles will be on display for viewing in a unique reading area designed by several Los Angeles architects. Guest curators Rachelle W. Chuang and Karin Lanzoni selected these artists—painters, photographers,sculptors, graphic designers, printers, performance artists, and book artists—each employing distinctive artistic strategies and techniques.

Artists include:
Rheim Alkadhi
Michael Asher
Kim Beck
Stephen Berens
Sarah Bryant
David Bunn
Robin Cameron
Carolee Campbell
Macy Chadwick
Rebecca Chamlee
Colin Cook
Harrell Fletcher
Christine Forsythe
Dan Goodsell
Nancy Jo Haselbacher
Deborah Hede
Margaret Honda
David Horvitz
Steven Hull
Amos Kennedy
Mark Robert Lewis
Steve Miller
Susan Porteous
Sue Ann Robinson
Moira Roth and Slobodan Dan Paich
Jérôme Saint-Loubert Bié
Robbin Ami Silverberg
Sumi Ink Club
Katie Lewis Underwood
Susan Viguers
Susan Weintz
Michelle Wilson
Jenny Yoshida

Reading Area Designed by Linda Chung and Daniel Herman
Chairs by:
Renee Dake Wilson and Brian Wilson (Dake Wilson Architects)
Tim Durfee
Pierpaolo Granata
Tom Marble (Marble Architecture)
Chris Puzio
Nathan Swift and Gloria Lee (Swift Lee Office)
Warren Techentin with Nima Payan and Machine Histories
f.l.u.f.f.
Chris Warren (WORD)

Yippee, after 2 years of doing minimal papermaking, I’m finally up and running in production mode. I am still hoping for a magic grant for David Reina Hollander beater (”I WANTS IT, I NEEEEEDDDSSS IT”), but a blender will have to do for now.

I purchased papermaking equipment earlier this spring from printmaker Neal Sistek in San Luis Obispo and finally have it set-up in my Laguna Beach studio to make production paper. Mable from Lala Press donated bags of Crane’s Lettra trim which I shred in my blender to make environmentally-friendy recycled sheets. I give Ellen Mears Kennedy thanks for the color gradiation techniques.

A limited number of sheets will be available for sale at the International Printing Museum in Carson, CA. Next I’ll be letterpress printing on them.

Here are the results:

Crane’s Lettra Trim

Pigmented Purple Pulp

Pigmented Green Pulp

Purple Pulp in Vat

Pulp Close up

Damp Papers

Damp Papers

Dried and Finished Papers

(Printed on Envelopments Geisha-STA00 cardstock)

Thanks to the generous donation of beautiful paper by Envelopments, I started to print “flags” for the Fair using hand-set wood and lead type from the Museum. I printed the flags by hand on my Vandercook-4 at the Irvine Fine Arts Center. Here they are drying en masse.

By the way you can rent time at the Irvine Fine Arts Center for your own letterpress projects. Click here for details on renting press time as well as letterpress classes at the center. I believe the IFAC is the only publicly accessible place to take letterpress classes in Orange County at this time (correct me if I’m wrong!). Madeleine Zygarewicz, one of the instructors, will be at the Fair to answer any questions.

-Rachelle W. Chuang

* Armory Arts, Pasadena
* Art Center, Pasadena – Letterpress classes at Art Center College of Design
* International Printing Museum, Carson
* Irvine Fine Arts Center
* Lala Press, Los Angeles – Letterpress instruction and press rental
* Otis Laboratory Press, Los Angeles
* Saddleback College, Mission Viejo – open to the public

And in San Diego you can rent press time at Bay Park Press.

General Book Arts Supplies, Book cloth and Decorative Papers can be found at:

Art Supply Warehouse 6672 Westminster Blvd Westminster, CA 92683 (714) 891-3626. Best prices and fabulous paper section. Been using them for 20 years. Only place to get book binding needles directly (not online). Carries Lineco brand of bookbinding products + awls, tapes, repair tape, white linen thread (no colors), book cloth and more.

Paper Source South Coast Plaza (1st floor of Crystal Court next to Carousel) 3333 Bear St Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (714) 957-8555. Papers, book board, PVA, kits, bone folders and small rolls of colored waxed linen thread are sold here.

Hiromi Paper at Bergamont Station in Santa Monica. Absolutely must go for Asian and International papers and book arts stuff.

Envelopments Gorgeous Papers and Envelopes can be used for a wide-variety of book structures. I’ve also letterpress printed on their stock. Where’s the Party in Costa Mesa carries their line and you can also order through me.

Specific Tools:

AWLS: Art Supply Warehouse (see above) sells heavy and light-duty awls. Or y ou can check the scrapbooking section at Michael’s for any piercing tool. I also heard Joanne’s Fabrics and crafts has some awls. If you don’t have a traditional cradle, remember to use scrap foam core or craft foam to use with your awl. Hiromi Paper sells finer quality awls too.

WAXED LINEN THREAD: For waxed linen thread bulk, order from Royalwood.
If you don’t want to spend a bundle, Paper Source in South Coast Plaza Crystal Court has small quantities for sale.

Online:
Talas in New York = high end fine bookbinding retailer
Daniel Smith now sells PVA glue, bone folders, awls and book board.
Bookmakers Catalog in Maryland. I used to go there to pick up supplies.

Contact me if you know of other resources I should put on this list!

The Vessels show will move to Angels Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro from January 17-March 8, 2010. Opening Reception is January 17 2-4pm.

TO SEE PAST EXHIBITIONS CLICK HERE.