A free letterpress printmaking demonstration and workshop with Goffstown printmaker and artist Josh Dannin is set for this Saturday at the Dublin Public Library.
Dannin teaches printmaking, letterpress, and design at Saint Anselm College and the Institute of Art and Design at New England College. He will be bringing his his antique printing press to the library to discuss its traditional role in print and bookmaking, as well as its resurgence today as an artist’s tool in limited edition fine art print and book production.
This hands-on letterpress demonstration invites participants to experiment with typography using antique wood type to produce bold typographic prints. Participants will have access to hundreds of pieces of wooden letters, some as large as five inches tall and many of which are over one hundred years old. Participants will learn about the history of this tactile printing process, learn the basics of typesetting, inking, and printing, and collaborate in producing an edition of letterpress prints on an antique proofing press.
Dannin’s printed and bound works have been exhibited both nationally and internationally. He runs Directangle Press, a letterpress and risograph studio in Goffstown specializing in printing, publishing, and community workshops. He co-edits Power Washer Zine: a semiannual publication about screenprinting that asks soft questions and thinks hard thoughts.
The event is organized by the Friends of the Dublin Public Library, and runs from 10 a.m. to noon. Space is limited. RSVP to Kimberly at kkasbury@anselm.edu to reserve a spot, or for more information.
Dannin is also scheduled to lead a LEGO/Letterpress workshop on February 29 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the MAxT Makerspace in Peterborough, and a zine workshop at the Dublin Public Library on Saturday, March 28 from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information, and to register for those events, visit the MAxT Makerspace Events website at: https://monadnockartxtech.org/events/
Friends of the Dublin Public Library Board member Kimberly Kersey-Asbury described the events as a “fun series of truly unique art workshops.”