Bringing letterpress to Miami
I love all libraries. Main Library in Miami is Downtown, large and also collects art as well as books. They regularly offer exhibitions, in the photo on the left are two curators of the Vasari Project that collect Miami artists’ work and histories. Luis Berthin and Zonia Zena combine collection materials with Vasari research to tell Miami’s history.
https://www.givemiamiday.org/organization/Extravirginpressmiami
Bookleggers Library gives books away. They are a favorite place not just for books, but they are housed in Bakehouse Art Center, one of largest and oldest Arts organizations in Miami. Mark Russell and his wife live nearby. Mark teaches across the street at a middle school and has a studio at the Bakehouse.
https://www.givemiamiday.org/organization/Extravirginpressmiami
I am delighted to share the news that the Met has acquired two of my artists books. Conversation Too (2013) and This Is My Body, Of Food and Freedom (2023) for their permanent collection. I am grateful to each of my collaborators for their contributions of words and images (Convo2: Kari Snyder, Laura Tan/ Artwork; John Dufresne, Michael Hettich, Yaddyra Peralta/ Prose & Poetry. This Is My Body: Edwidge Danticat/ Essay, John Ermer/ Research).
Convo Too was assembled at the Anderson Center at Tower View with our combined work in writing and images. The book was printed during my Helen M. Salzberg Artist in Residence Program at the Jaffe Center for Book Arts at Florida Atlantic University, and bound at Extra Virgin Press in West Coconut Grove, Florida.
This Is My Body, Of Food and Freedom was printed and bound at Extra Virgin Press in Little Haiti (Miami), Florida.
I am grateful to Lin Lougheed, Cherese Crockett, and Oolite Arts for their part in bringing this work to the collection.
For some reason printing near salt water makes everyone just a bit more festive. Left and above are Miggs again on the Port of Miami adjacent to PAMM. Below I am demonstrating the process of inking to several students at Villa Vizcaya on the edge of Biscayne Bay.
https://www.givemiamiday.org/organization/Extravirginpressmiami
The sun is up, it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
As always I will give early to the organizations that work for kids.
Please keep letterpress printing alive in Miami.
Ink on paper is for everyone, no batteries or screens required.
https://www.givemiamiday.org/organization/Extravirginpressmiami
Printing with kids is one of the most rewarding aspects of dragging heavy presses around town. That smile that breaks out bounces from kids to parents to printers.
Friend, colleague, and printer Nick Gilmore joins us at PAMM regularly. The lines get long with only one printer. The four variations on the right: Flying Manatee- Nick, Hummingbird- Tom, Griffin- Russell Beans, and Dragon Cat- Miguel Mendoza AKA Miggs.
Aside from my two antiques (a 1949 Vandercook 4 Proof press and Challenge 15KP Proof press) most of what I use is ink, paper, and things to clean the press. Old school printing takes time, but it rewards those who are patient, take good care of their equipment, and clean up promptly & thoroughly. My days often are simply print and make a mess… Clean everything up and put everything away again. It works.
Greetings all, been sewing books and hanging out with printers.
If you are not living on the Beach, its a trek.
Still… 120 feet of printing, books and book arts are quite a sight.
This is the last weekend for A Public Education
@oolitearts @extravirginpress
Give Miami Day opens November 17. Support your local letterpress print shop.
Check us out at https://www.givemiamiday.org/organization/Extravirginpressmiami
Extra Virgin Press’s own Tom Virgin talks about his path as an artist, educator, printmaker, book artist, and proprietor of a letterpress studio.
http://voyagephoenix.com/interview/conversations-with-tom-virgin/
