New Spec Sheet: Arcadian No. 1

Today was a busy day at WNYBAC - the Ron Hawkins gig poster was completed:



And we wrapped up a specimen sheet for Arcadian No. 1, a typeface made by Wm. Page & Co. The typeface dates from earlier, but our specimen is from 1872. Almost 140 years old! Printed in two colorways: olive green and flint blue, mustard/brown and flint blue.







The spec sheet is available now on Etsy and in our shop!

Ron Hawkins Gig Poster

Check out two of the mock-ups for our latest gig poster, Ron Hawkins - singer/songwriter, frontman of The Lowest of the Low - the show is at Mohawk Place on October 23rd. It's in a traditional style with a great tri-color background (reminiscent of the colors on a Gibson Les Paul starburst guitar - deep red, yellow, and beige). Finished product coming soon!

Last Night I Met the Mercury Astronauts

A career in design or graphic arts brings with it a continuum of advances on process and technology. The tools we use to exercise our crafts are always changing. But I remember when we talked more about the people who helped us with the crafts than the tools. The tools came second. It was the craftsmen - and women - who brought to the table finely honed skill and discipline. The pressmen, dot-etchers, engravers, and the suppliers who kept them going - like the roller companies, ink mixers and the type suppliers - both metal and photo. When I started as a designer I was - and continue to be - in awe of these people. Their careers - and lives - were handed over to the pursuit and exercise of perfection. Their role in the greater sequence of artful steps was critical. There would be no allowance for “good enough.”

All of this said, it was these crafts people that we all took for granted. They knew their “stuff” - we didn’t have to. Bout how did they learn? How did they refine their respective crafts? Well, as like much in the early days of printing, they looked to “The Guild” - the collective that allowed these artists to share their stories - their passions - and knock back a few beers and prime rib now and then. Today I am thinking about the Printing House Craftsmen.

Last night I enjoyed a special, rare evening at The Western New York Book Arts Center, where we - the Board of Directors - and the membership - hosted what might very well have been the last gathering of the Buffalo area chapter of the Printing House Craftsmen Club. Along with a sizable archive of photographs and event programs to be reposed at The Center, members of the local club came together to share more stories and revel in the Center’s museum and “The Art of the Broadside” exhibit.
For me this was a special gathering. Ever since my Graphic Arts Technology classes at Mohawk Valley Community College, I have been fascinated by the tools, techniques - and people - who make such a technologically exacting process seem like simple art. For us first adopters of the Apple Macinotsh tools, these men and women are the like the Mercury Astronauts The went first. They helped mold the processes and standards the rest of us would lean on for years. They were the ones who made the magic happen without Photoshop, InDesign drop shadows and special filters. The Space Shuttle couldn’t have gotten off the ground without the contributions of the talents and lives of those who came before them.

As an educator I find myself lamenting what today’s "kids" don’t know about what came before my generation. But, I suppose, for every Mercury Astronaut - or plate maker or typesetter I revere - and tell countless stories about, they will have a craftsman of their own who reminds them of where they came from. I guess I can only hope.

So here’s to the astronauts - and everything they did to lay a foundation for me - for us. It goes without saying, really, that they have my unending respect. None of us are in this alone - unless we think we are.

WNYBAC Featured Video

WNYBAC has a video feature on Skunkpost today. Richard and Chris offer an overview of the letterpress process and what we do here at the Book Arts Center:

Support clean air at WNYBAC

Breathe new life into the WNY Book Arts Center!

A new fundraising initiative to help WNYBAC printshop become even more accessible:

While we work on ADA compliance for the building with foundation funding for our elevator project to connect all 3 floors, the lack of public funding has given us impetus to use the online funding facilitation source, Kickstarter, to help bring out printshop up to comfortable standards for all visitors. We hope to use this funding to implement an appropriate ventilation and heating system for our basement print studio. With this initiative, you also get great rewards for helping out. Rewards at various levels include hand-printed goods, yearly memberships, a letterpress workshop, and custom posters. Any level of support which involved membership as a reward will be added to your existing membership for full benefit.

We appreciate any support you are able to offer as we work to make our studio as accessible, comfortable, and healthy as possible.

Please check this out!
http://kck.st/cffjbA

Wood type Specimen Sheets

Chris has been working on a series of spec sheets for the wood type in our print studio collection. The first two, shown below, are for Gothic Round and Antique Latin.

Gothic Round:

American Latin:

Both (and forthcoming) spec sheets are available in the WNYBAC shop and our Etsy shop.

Broken Social Scene Poster

Check out the finished version of the gig poster for Broken Social Scene and The Sea and Cake. Hand-carved by Kat Delfosse and hand-printed, the poster works well on its own or side by side with another to create the full circle.







Printed in a limited edition, signed and numbered. Posters are available in the WNYBAC shop and Etsy shop for $20 each.

Wandering Book Artists

This past Tuesday, we had the opportunity to host Peter and Donna Thomas, otherwise known as the Wandering Book Artists. Peter offered a free talk on artist books and his own experience making one of a kind books, complete with a few tunes played on a ukulele (that was also a book!) After the talk, Donna offered tours of their "gypsy wagon" and Peter led the group of 11 students through the process of making a scrolling book, a binding technique the Thomas' created. Also on view at the event was the Thomas' impressive collection of miniature books they had made, as well as other works they had for sale. Peter and Donna offered an interesting perspective on the process and value of artist books, and those who took their workshop have added an inventive technique to their bookbinding skills. Take a peek at the talk, workshop, and some of the class's results:

Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts

Stop by the WNYBAC table today at the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts to print a coaster, make a button, fold a single-page book, or pick up the new workshop brochure! We'll be in the driveway of Positively Main Street until the end of the festival at 5 today, stop and say hi!

This Week's Posters

This week at WNYBAC, several posters were in the works.

The first is a 4-color poster for Starlight Studio, which will be celebrating its 5-year anniversary with a party later this year. Participants from Starlight helped with the design and printing process over the course of four 3-hour sessions.

The second finished poster is for the forthcoming film Making Faces: Metal Type in the 21st Century that will be screened this week at TypeCon in LA. The poster includes a 3-color linoleum reduction block, metal type, and photo polymer plates.

We've also been working on a poster for the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts, and poster for the upcoming Broken Social Scene show at Town Ballroom in September.

Both prints above are available for sale in the WNYBAC shop.

Fresh off the Press

Fresh off the press this week we have the third printing of the "Buffalo Hates You Too!" card, as well as a more friendly version for those who would like to show some affection for our fair city.

Also new this week are the fraction to decimal conversion cards, for when you need a truly practical greeting card.

As usual, just $2 a card ($1.60 for members) and we've got 3 and 5-pack specials as well.

Starshaped Press at WNYBAC & New Prints

This past weekend, Jen and Sarah of Starshaped Press joined us at the Book Arts Center for two excellent workshops.

The first workshop on Thursday was taught by Sarah, and offered participants the opportunity to learn how to prepare and cut a linoleum block for printing.

A carved block and two of the prints we made:

On Saturday, Jen, the lead designer at Starshaped Press, offered a workshop on typesetting and operating a platen press. Students learned how to use a composing stick to set type, do makeready for and print on a tabletop press. Participants made calling cards and business cards, and Jen set the "I left my heart at WNYBAC" mini-print pictured above.

The chance to learn platen press printing techniques from Jen was a rare and valuable opportunity, and students left with an excellent grasp of the process and benefits of using this particular type of press.

Thanks to Jen and Sarah for the great workshops!

The WNYBAC shop is now carrying several posters and cards from Starshaped Press. Here are just a few:

{photos courtesy of Starshaped's etsy shop}

A new addition

This perforator is the newest acquisition to the Museum. We believe the piece is from the late 19th century. If you have any information about this style perforator please let us know.

Where's Lloyd? Right next to the Book Arts Center!

Last week, Buffalo got its first taste of real, legitimate street food. Lloyd's taco truck has set up at Mohawk and Main for the past week, opening during the lunch hours of 11a-2p. A welcome addition to the neighborhood, Lloyd's gives you another reason to stop by the Book Arts Center - and grab some lunch while you're here!

Buffalo Rising offers their review of Lloyd's, and you can follow the taco truck on Twitter for updates.

Special Guest Instructors this week at WNYBAC

This week at the WNY Book Arts Center we will be offering two unique workshops with guest instructors from Starshaped Press in Chicago. At Starshaped Press, they use only hand-set metal and wood type for their designs, following their motto: “All Metal, All the Time (Except When it’s Wood).”

Sarah and Jen will be joining us for just a few days, and have offered to teach workshops on linoleum and platen press printing. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to work with the printers behind Starshaped Press, and learn new techniques you can use again and again.

Thursday August 5 from 6-9pm, Sarah will go over the techniques and tools necessary to design, cut, prepare, and print a hand-carved linoleum block and students will have the opportunity to try their hand at the process.
Register here.

Saturday August 7 from 1-5pm, Jen will teach you how to print using a tabletop platen press, including typesetting and printing for smaller-scale projects.
Register here.

Both of these workshops will be small, hands-on classes for which space is limited. Register now to secure your spot!

WNYBAC will also be hosting Peter and Donna Thomas, the Wandering Book Artists, as they make their way through Buffalo in September. They will be giving a talk on what they do as well as an evening workshop on scrolling books. More details and registration information will be available in August.

Zines: An Introduction to Self-Publishing Workshop

In conjunction with our current zine exhibition Wide Margins, this workshop will give participants a chance to learn more about the techniques used in zine-making and self-publishing.

Longtime zinester and exhibition co-curator Amy Greenan will provide participants with a "toolkit" of information and techniques to begin self-publishing, and you'll get a chance to try these techniques hands-on. From simple side-stitch bindings to more advanced techniques, you will leave with the knowledge and skills you need to publish your own zines or chapbooks.

Zines: Introduction to Self-Publishing
Instructor: Amy Greenan
Date/Time: Saturday July 31, 1-4pm
Cost: $30 ($24 members) + $10 materials fee

Register here for this unique opportunity to learn the skills you need to begin publishing your own work.

Wide Margins

Our current show, Wide Margins, opened last night and what a night it was! On display are hundreds of zines on all topics from the 1960's to the present. Work by Allen Ginsberg and Andy Warhol as well as the members of Bikini Kill who were an integral part of the Riot Grrl movement of the early nineties. Those are just a few of the many awesome zine contributions.

A detail from the process wall by Amy Greenan:

Members' Exhibition 2010 Selections

As the 2010 Members' Exhibition closed this past weekend, we'd like to announce those people selected to participate in two separate group shows in early 2011.

Cori Wolff, curator at the Buffalo Arts Studio and Olean Public Library Gallery, has selected the following three members for a group show at the Olean Public Library Gallery:

Olga Bajusova

Kathryn Eshbaugh

Christopher Fritton

WNYBAC's jurors have selected the following members for a show at the Book Arts Center:

Francisco Amaya

Sandra C. Fernandez

Amanda Maciuba

Both of these shows are slated for early 2011 and will be announced here when more details are available. Congratulations to those members that were selected for a show, and thanks again to all members that participated in this year's WNYBAC Members' Exhibition.

WNYBAC Library - Expanded

WNYBAC recently received a donation of a tremendous collection of books on book arts techniques, expanding our library by nearly 400 titles. Subjects include bookbinding, printing, design, and typography among many others. The library holds the largest selection of books on paper marbling and calligraphy in the Buffalo area. Our updated catalog is available for public view on LibraryThing, and the library is available to WNYBAC members for research during our regular hours, Wednesday through Saturday 12-6pm.

Book Fest

Last Saturday at the Book Arts Center, participants had a chance to try several techniques for free, and take home their handmade items. We made books from scrap paper, Jello-O boxes, office supplies, and fabric scraps. We watched a paper marbling demonstration and learned how the process worked before everyone had a chance to make their own marbled paper design. Everyone had the opportunity to print their own card on the press to take home, make a dragon book using simple origami techniques, and even make their own paper from pulp.

Learning to marble paper

Some of the marbled paper designs

Making books from unexpected materials

Handmade paper drying on the windows

Lots of fun was had by all trying their hand at new skills and techniques!