APHA National Conference
Learning To Print, Teaching to Print
October 15-16, 2010, Washington, D.C.
Day One
The American Printing History Association held its annual conference in the Chesapeake Chapter's neighborhood at the Corcoran College of Art + Design, Washington, DC, October 15th–16th, 2010. APHA’s 35th Annual Conference was entitled “Learning To Print, Teaching to Print” and showcased the explosion of interest in letterpress printing and book arts across the country.
The Chesapeake Chapter of APHA was a major contributor to the conference, both in content and in much of the day-to-day work and attendance, along with an exhibition of approximately 80 pieces of member-printed letterpress work.
This page is about Day One. Names in bold are members of the Chesapeake Chapter.
Day One focused on the academic as well as the practicing side and included three special tours that attendees could choose from:
National Museum of American History, Graphic Arts Collection/printing workshop
Government Printing Office
Library of Congress (Rare Book Division).
The Chesapeake Chapter resides in a wonderful part of the planet to have these kinds of experiences in abundance.
Slipping in early at the gallery we see Chesapeake Chapter member Donald Farren signing the certificate which is going to be our highlight for Day Two.
The first session was a panel discussion focusing on “New Art/Old Technology: The Challenges of Teaching Innovation while Preserving Tradition.” The panel was formed from the Center for Book Arts, New York: moderated by Programs Manager, Sarah Nicholls, Roni Gross (Zitouna Press), printers Barbara Henry (Harsimus Press) and Amber McMillan (Post Editions), and former Resident Artist James Walsh.
After the first session the 160+ crowd moved into the Corcoran's Gallery 31 for refreshments, conversation and a look at letterpress work from the Chesapeake Chapter's members and a variety of work by Corcoran Book Arts students.
Chapter members in the exhibion included:
The audience starting to settle back into the auditorium which would end up packed.
Paul Romaine (left), President of APHA. Betty Bright (right) delivered the conference keynote address entitled History as Fable, Helix, and Aperture. Betty Bright is an independent scholar and curator who helped to start the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. She wrote the critical work, No Longer Innocent: Book Art in America 1960–1980 (Granary Books, 2005).
After Betty Bright's talk everyone adjourned to the main atrium at the Corcoran for refreshments and discussion. While most photos are of Chesapeake Chapter members, here are number of photos to show how things looked.
Above Roland Hoover (more on him later), Greg Robison, Chapter secretary, and Jill Cypher gather to renew old friendships.
Mark Samuels Lasner, one of the main personalities behind the APHA conference.
Virginia Green, a new APHA member from Baylor University who has become good friends with many of the Chesapeake Chapter's letterpress printers, talks shop with Chris Manson.
Bob Cicero, of Globe Poster in Baltimore, with Mary Mashburn, Typecast Press, who shows a wonderful smile.
John Johnson (left), Robert Metzler, Dartmouth College, Mike Denker, Chesapeake Chapter president, and Nancy Johnson.
Chris Sweterlitsch (left), recently retired from the Government Printing Office, talks with George Barnum, archivist & historian at the Government Printing Office. The GPO is having its 150th anniversary exhibition this coming spring and will make a nice chapter meeting.
Stuart Bradley talks with Casey Smith, conference co-chair and chair of Arts & Humanities at the Corcoran College of Art + Design. In the far background you can see Paul Romaine, President of APHA National.
Photos and text by Ray Nichols & Jill Cypher.
