Former Events

CARL SESTO
Ordinary Events, 1995
5.5" x 8.5" x .375"
Offset lithography on 80 lbs. Dull coated cover, stocastic screening

Production, Not Reproduction: Offset Printed Artist Books

January 14, 2008 – April 26, 2008

Lecture by Tony White, Friday, February 22, 2008 at 6:30pm

Production, Not Reproduction exzamines the influence of offset printing on the genre of artist’s books. The complex printing process of offset lithography was developed in the late 19th century, but only refined as a viable print production process after World War II. This exhibition charts the rise (mid-1950’s) and fall (late 1990’s) of offset printed artists’ books. This show has been organized by Tony White, Head of the Fine Arts Library at Indiana University.

Artists include Sally Alatalo, Laurel Beckman, Michael Becotte, Seana Biondilillo, Judith Blumberg, Bill Burke, Bruce Childs, Miles DeCoster, Tom Denlinger, Helen Douglas, Toni Dove, Eugene Feldman, Brad Freeman, Chris George, Conrad Gleber, Michael Goodman, Susan King, Suzanne Lacy, Joan Lyons, Joni Mabe, Cindy Marsh, Scott L. McCarney, Clifton Meador, Rebecca Michaels, Shinro Ohtake, Kevin Osborn, Jo Anne Paschall, Philip Perkis, Kevin Riordan, Dieter Roth, Gail Rubini, Ed Ruscha, Joseph Ruther, Carl Sesto, Patty Smith, Jim Snitzer, Buzz Spector, Lori Spencer, Telfer Stokes, Ann Tyler, Todd Walker, Andy Warhol, Rachel Youdelman, Philip Zimmerman

This exhibition is funded in part by the Royal Danish Embassy, the Royal Danish Consulate in Houston, the American-Scandinavian Foundation, PACO Grundfos, Ocean Projects, Scan-Trans, Richard & Karen Doidge, Danish Inspirations, and the Danish Club of Houston,. The Museum of Printing History is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.

Visual Voice: the Poster Art of Finn Nygaard

January 24, 2008 - April 10, 2008

The Museum of Printing History is pleased to bring Finn Nygaard, the renowned Danish designer and poster artist, for a series of events and an exhibition at the Museum, his first solo show in the United States. Mr. Nygaard is known internationally for his work, which has won multiple juried shows. The artist has traveled and taught extensively. Finn Nygaard is a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale, AGI and a member of Danish Designers. Events accompanying the exhibition will include collaborations with cultural and educational institutions in Houston and Texas, including the University of Houston, the AIGA, and the Royal Danish Consulate in Houston.

Finn Nygaard is an internationally-celebrated designer and poster artist whose work has been shown in his native Denmark and throughout Scandinavia, Europe, and America. The Museum of Printing History is taking the unprecedented step of dedicating its three exhibition galleries to a single artist in order to display a wide range of Mr. Nygaard’s inventive work. “Visual Voice” will seek to highlight the syncopation and the sensitivities to rhythm in Nygaard’s design. Our largest exhibition space will show an array of his jazz poster design, while the other spaces will be dedicated to smaller pieces and ephemera.

Hand pulled, silk screened printed posters are available in our gift shop. Call 713-522-4652 to inquire.

MELANIE WADE LESLIE
4478, 2007

THE MONOTYPE EXHIBITION : HWCA AT THE MPH

January 18, 2008 – March 7, 2008

Fear and courage – they’re often present when an artist moves from a familiar medium to something new. In this exhibition, eight HWCA (Houston Women's Caucus for Art) members, most with long histories as makers of art but no training as printmakers, confronted the monotype and made it their own. In preparation for the exhibition, the artists participated in two monotype workshops, one led by Melanie Wade Leslie, the other by master printmaker Pat Masterson of MadCap Press.Sculptor Hana Bibliowicz, who typically works in clay, found the ink and paper monotype process much less delicate than she had supposed.“Paper may seem to lack substance, but it holds up remarkably well to the ink, the press-- and my abuse,” smiled Bibliowicz.

The only formally trained printmaker in the group is Melanie Wade Leslie. Her prints are widely exhibited in Texas and throughout the region. Leslie, who teaches at Houston Baptist University, will provide a monotype demo and a monotype workshop at the Museum of Printing History during the exhibition’s run. “The monotype process can work well for both experienced artists and first-timers,” said Leslie. High resolution files are available at the HWCA website, www.artwomenhouston.org.

Artists in the exhibition include: Hana Bibliowicz, sculptor; Rona Lesser, watercolor artist; Melanie Wade Leslie, printmaker; Judy Lee McConnell, mosaic artist; Joy Mullett, sculptor; Ellen Orseck, painter; Sylvia Caplan Rawley, sculptor; Linda Joyce Renz, multi-media artist

Tradition and Invention: the Woodcut Prints of Akira Kurosaki

"Tradition and Invention: the Woodcut Prints of Akira Kurosaki," a retrospective of the past twenty-five years of the artist’s work, will appear at Houston’s Museum of Printing History from October 1 - December 20, 2007. One of Japan’s leading woodcut artists, Kurosaki engages and updates this tradition for the contemporary world, utilizing the centuries-old techniques of Japanese printmaking to create a dynamic new form.

Sponsored by:

With additional support from: Houston Arts Alliance · Pola Art Foundation · David & Orna Feinstein · Dr & Mrs. Louis Daily · Tsusomu Osawa, Japanese Consul-General· The HARO Foundation · Japan-America Society of Houston · Japanese American Citizens League· Rice University Visual and Dramatic Arts Department

Japanese Woodblock Printing from the Collection of Jerry and Elaine McCleskey

September 20 - December 22

In conjunction with Akira Kurosaki’s visit to Houston, the Museum of Printing History will present an exhibition of Japanese woodcuts, exhibiting masterworks from the golden age of ukiyo-e prints, including work by Hokusai, Hiroshige, and Kunisada. The exhibition will then explore the growth of the tradition as it was renewed and adapted in the twentieth century by figures such as Hiroshi Yoshida and Hasui Kawase.

This art form, which deeply influenced the impressionists and later movements of Western art, was in turn influenced by the visual traditions of Europe and America. This exhibition traces the dialogue between the cultures while also presenting the works of the great practitioners of the art.

	Forgers, Frauds, & Pirates: Faking the Book May 10 - October 12, 2007 Exposing the dark side of the literary world, this exhibition gathers many of the most infamous examples of published deception to appear over the past four hundred years. Visitors to the exhibition will see copies of the Texas Declaration of Independence and a newspaper account of the death of George Washington, as well as other works. All are fraudulent. Behind these fake objects stand the fascinating stories of their forgers, depicting the wide range of motives and personalities behind these frauds -- which sometimes led to other crimes, including murder. Be sure not to miss our cases devoted to forgeries and hoaxes perpetrated in Houston. Please visit here for an interview and story from Houston Public Radio, KUHF 88.7 FM, about Forgers, Frauds, & Pirates: Faking the Book
	365: the Year in Design Graphic Excellence Selected by AIGA August 9 – September 25, 2007 Opening Reception, August 9, 6 - 8 p.m. “365: the Year in Design” is a juried selection of graphic excellence honored by the professional association for design, the American Institute of Graphic Arts. This annual competition selects examples of graphic innovation in categories such as editorial, typographic, information, and identity design. The memorable work displayed at the Museum ranges through styles and media, including posters and magazine spreads, logos and stationery, wine labels and gallery installations. These exemplary graphic solutions offer the distinct pleasure that is taken, by both designer and audience, from fresh and inventive design.
	Special Extended Engagement FRONT PAGE: Newspaper Production February 12 - September 15, 2007 Please join us for this exhibition, which provides an introduction to the history of newspaper production as told through famous front pages. From the Museum’s earliest examples of newspaper printing in the 17^th century to contemporary events, this exhibition dramatizes the twists and turns of history. Come walk through the past alongside great or infamous headlines (“Men Walk on Moon,” “Dewey Defeats Truman,” “Elvis Is Dead”). More than a history lesson, “Front Page” explores the landscape of Houston through its many newspapers, and also tells the story of the many difficulties in spreading the news, overcome through the development of printing technology.
"Kitchen Table Yearning," mixed media by Sonja Strathearn	EARTH VISION: Print and Photography from the members of WIVLA June 14 - July 29, 2007
	Now Playing Houston: the Liberty Hall Poster Show February 19 - June 5, 2007 In March of 1971, a live music venue called Liberty Hall opened on Houston's Chenevert Street. With a capacity of 450, Liberty Hall was dedicated to the promotion of both established and young musicians playing a wide range of styles, from rock to country, blues to punk. From the Velvet Underground in 1971 to the Ramones in 1977, musicians who are now acknowledged as giants visited Houston and played Liberty Hall. The exhibition will display show posters, tickets, and reviews from shows by Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Lightnin' Hopkins, Waylon Jennings, and around forty others. The posters themselves are also a home-grown phenomenon, printed with wood and metal types at Fred Marshall Press in Houston. A young Bruce Springsteen played a showcase at Liberty Hall in 1974, and later immortalized the venue in "This Hard Land," found on his Greatest Hits (1995): "Hey Frank, won't you pack your bags And meet me tonight down at Liberty Hall."
	Reading the Movies: Photoplay Editions from the Collection of Stuart Kane February 5 - April 30, 2007 This exhibition gathers together a wide range of photoplay editions, or novels reprinted with artwork related to their movie adaptation. These books – one of the earliest forms of movie merchandizing – display stills and publicity material for their films. Our cases display films from the 1910’s to the 1940’s, including landmark examples of epic, horror, romance, film noir, and children’s movies, and depict many of the great film actors of the period. From Katherine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart to Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman, from Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff to Fay Wray and Lon Chaney, a large number of favorite figures are represented. They appear in books by literary figures such as Shakespeare, Dickens, Hemingway, and Twain – as well as Chandler, Greene, Christie and Cain.
	talmud: in the art of Marc Chagall and Ben-Zion January 2 - 25, 2007 In collaboration with Houston Baptist University and its international conference Credo, the Museum of Printing History is pleased to announce talmud, an exhibition of the print art of Marc Chagall and Ben-Zion. Talmud, meaning instruction, is the name given to the writings of Jewish civil and religious law. This exhibition consists of two portfolios which provide a visual commentary upon familiar, and lesser-known, stories from the Hebrew Bible. Join us in being instructed by Ben-Zion (1897-1987), a founding member of The Ten (with Adolph Gottleib and Mark Rothko) in 1930’s New York, and Marc Chagall (1887-1985), one of the most brilliant lights of 20th-century art.
	A Gorey Spectacle: The Book Illustration of Edward Gorey From the Collection of Edward Snow A retrospective exhibition of the books of Edward Gorey, the author and illustrator of nearly 100 works. Gorey is known for his wicked wit, drawn in part from his attraction to the Victorian world of outward decorum and unspoken calamity. His tales often appear as moralistic children's primers or fairy tales, with especially macabre, and humorous, outcomes.
	From the Heart of Texas: Prints by Charles Criner Contemporary master printmaker Charles Criner exhibits images of East Texas and the Gulf Coast. Two galleries are devoted to the artist's stone lithography, mixed media, and giclée (or ink jet) prints. Mr. Criner is Artist-in-Residence at the Museum of Printing History, and can provide personal insight into his life and work, particularly suited to tours for young students.
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