Thank you to Julianne Dao, Faith Johnson, and Taylor Swanson

P.R.I.N.T Press thanks Julianne Dao and Faith Johnson for serving as Interns and Taylor Swanson for serving as a Graduate Assistant in spring 2019. These students helped prepare for the annual conference of the Southern Graphics Council International (SGCI) while working with Lari Gibbons to complete an edition for Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Alison Saar. 

Perhaps our most ambitious semester to-date, these accomplishments would not have been possible without these excellent students.

Sincere gratitude to printmakers extraordinaire Julianne Dao, Faith Johnson, and Taylor Swanson.

P.R.I.N.T is proud of its work with student interns, including:
• Annavittoria Conner • Samuel Cowan • Jaime Durham • Nathan Eclavea • Eileen Fritz • Leigh Garcia• Jessica Gengenbach • Halee Hamm • Su Tran • Sydney Wilson

Thank you to Sydney Wilson

Sydney Wilson (R) prints a proof for Alison Saar with Aunna Escobedo (L)

P.R.I.N.T Press thanks Sydney Wilson for serving as an Intern and on the successful completion of her BFA in fall 2018. Her skills were a wonderful complement to this semester’s activities at P.R.I.N.T. She shares her experiences in the following essay: 

It has truly been a great last semester here at UNT because of my ability to become involved with an inspiring community of knowledgeable printmakers through the opportunity of interning at P.R.I.N.T Press. The experience of hands-on learning at a professional print press is invaluable; it has better prepared me for emerging into the field of art post graduation and has taught me the ins and outs of working alongside a professional artist on an edition of prints they ultimately envision.

Hand-made buttons for the upcoming SGCI conference

The semester began with preparing for the upcoming SGCI conference in March 2019. SGCI is one of the biggest printmaking conferences in the country and for a part of it to be held at UNT is a huge deal. Working to make signage, buttons, stickers, and the program for a conference that an extreme amount of talented printmakers will likely be at is a remarkable prospect; to know that an artist you admire could end up wearing a button you made is an incredibly exciting concept!

Sydney Wilson tests a plate for Alison Saar

Working with Alison Saar this semester was amazing; she brought such a fun energy with her into the press, and loved sharing her vast knowledge with interested students. For her print project, I was able to laser cut her cotton boll stencils in CVAD's Digital Fabrication Lab so that they could be glued onto a masonite board in a wallpaper type pattern for the first layer of her multi block print. I also worked alongside other studio volunteers to mix inks, prepare paper, create blocks and get a finished proof in the short span of a week. I found this fast-paced environment extremely energizing and I loved the way our group of printmakers really came together to complete the artist's vision (more photos here).

Sydney Wilson (L) and Aunna Escobedo (R) proof a plate for Alison Saar with Lari Gibbons 

Alongside MFA candidate Aunna Escobedo, we began to dye paper and start the process of refinining proofs for Alison's edition. The edition has many intricate steps, and working together to find a flow that fits best took some time, but eventually we fell into the right printing pattern and began to gradually build up layers towards a finished print. Alison's print has a number of variables that affect the finished product, so each layer has to move slowly for the additional layers to end up working together in harmony. We continued to work with Alison on the final print, with minimal adjustments, even through the chaos of an unexpected studio move.

What I've learned the most from this semester, and Lari Gibbons in particular, is the power of perseverance through changing times, and to never stop working towards your end goal. Even though outside pressures made it near impossible, Lari still persists on making the best prints possible for Alison Saar and I find that extremely admirable. It's been an amazing semester learning from this set of inspiring ladies, and I hope to put the skill sets I've collected from them to good use in my future endeavors outside of UNT.––Sydney Wilson, BFA 2018

Thank you to Sydney Wilson for all of your great work at the press, and congratulations on receiving your BFA! We look forward to seeing what you do next! 

P.R.I.N.T is proud of its work with student interns, including:

• Annavittoria Conner • Samuel Cowan • Jaime Durham • Nathan Eclavea • Eileen Fritz • Leigh Garcia• Jessica Gengenbach • Halee Hamm • Su Tran

Thank you Halee Hamm

P.R.I.N.T Press thanks Halee Hamm for serving as an intern in spring 2018. Halee is in her Senior year and is a Printmaking major. Here she writes about her role in this semester's projects:  

In the spring of 2018 I had the privilege of working as an intern at P.R.I.N.T Press. It's not every day that an aspiring printmaker can walk into a massive and pristine printmaking studio with crisp white walls, housing countless presses, tools and endless supplies. Let's be honest, it's a dream facility; begging to be filled with passionate, thoughtful, and hardworking artists that can enrich the already overflowing creative atmosphere. In recent years P.R.I.N.T Press has hosted several visiting artists including Linda Ridgway, Kiki Smith, and Jeff Dell. . . .

Internship available | fall 2018

An internship at P.R.I.N.T Press is available to a UNT BFA candidate / Printmaking major for fall semester 2018. It requires 10 hours per week for 3 credit hours. Duties include assisting staff and visiting artists on special projects and events.

For more information, contact Lari Gibbons, professor and director of P.R.I.N.T Press.

Former and current interns include . . .
Annavittoria Connor
Samuel Cowan (2016) (2017)
Jaime Durham
Nathan Eclavea
Eileen Fritz
Leigh Garcia
Jessica Gengenbach
Halee Hamm

Su Tran

From the Registrar's Schedule of Classes and official Course Catalogue:
ART 4450.753
PROF INTERNSHIP
(26294) CRE V
3 hours
In-training programs offered in cooperation with approved business and professional houses. Students wishing credit must have instructor approve plan. Term reports required of students and employers.
Prerequisite(s): Junior standing. May be repeated for credit.

Internship available spring 2018

An internship at P.R.I.N.T Press is available to a UNT BFA candidate / Printmaking major for spring semester 2018. It requires 10 hours per week for 3 credit hours. Duties include assisting staff and visiting artists on special projects and events.

For more information, contact Lari Gibbons, professor and director of P.R.I.N.T Press.

Former and current interns include . . .
Annavittoria Connor
Samuel Cowan (2016) (2017)
Jaime Durham
Nathan Eclavea
Eileen Fritz
Leigh Garcia
Jessica Gengenbach

Su Tran

From the Registrar's Schedule of Classes and official Course Catalogue:
ART 4450.753
PROF INTERNSHIP
(26294) CRE V
3 hours
In-training programs offered in cooperation with approved business and professional houses. Students wishing credit must have instructor approve plan. Term reports required of students and employers.
Prerequisite(s): Junior standing. May be repeated for credit.

PRINT Alumni at Tamarind Institute

UNT CVAD is proud to announce recent accomplishments of two alumni at the Tamarind Institute of Lithography. Tamarind Institute, a division of the College of Fine Arts at the University of New Mexico, is a nonprofit center for fine art lithography that trains master printers and houses a professional collaborative studio for artists.

Alumna Jaime Durham (BFA 2014) studied Studio Art with a concentration in printmaking. She was newly appointed as an apprentice printer at Tamarind. Jaime has had experience at P.R.I.N.T Press, as well as Yozo Studio in Dallas. She has been professionally trained in lithography, letterpress, intaglio, relief, silkscreen and monotype printing.

Read more about Jaime at Tamarind here.

In addition to Jaime Durham’s outstanding accomplishment, we are also proud to learn that alumnus David Villegas (MFA 2017) is participating in Tamarind’s Summer Workshop this July.

The summer workshop is a 4-week intensive emphasizing aluminum plate lithography. Acceptance to the program is competitive.

David received his MFA this past spring. David was a graduate assistant at P.R.I.N.T from 2016 –17. He also assisted several collaborations at P.R.I.N.T for his coursework in the Printmaking area.

Congrats to our many excellent CVAD alumni!

Congratulations Jessica Gengenbach!

BFA student and PRINT Press Intern Jessica Gengenbach received an internship at Art Farm in Marquette, Nebraska. Art Farm's program offers farmhouse accommodations and a workspace for interns to pursue their artwork. In addition to her studio time, Jessica will assist the resident artists and contribute to the renovation and maintenance of Art Farm's buildings and grounds.

Jessica will intern August 1st through September 1st. Congratulations Jessica!

Thank you to Intern Jessica Gengenbach

P.R.I.N.T Press thanks Jessica Gengenbach for serving as an intern in spring 2017. Jessica is Printmaking major who is graduating this semester with her BFA. Here she writes about her role in several major projects:  

Working at P.R.I.N.T Press was different from what I'd done before in my classes at the University of North Texas. Printing someone else's edition was a unique experience because all of the artistic decisions have already been made before I arrived, and my job as a printing assistant is to match the "right to print," or RTP. This is a print which the artist and master printer have produced, which represents the standard for the rest of the edition.

Working at P.R.I.N.T. allowed me to focus on improving my precision and technique in intaglio, and also develop skills for organizing and managing large editions. There were so many things that I learned in every stage of production, that I just wouldn't have gotten printing my own work.––Jessica Gengenbach 

When I print my own work I spend the majority of my time in the process of finding the final image, by altering the plate proofing different colors. I am inventing and making aesthetic decisions, up until I'm ready to print the edition. In other words, I put most of my energy into the part of a project which, at P.R.I.N.T, is done by the artist and master printer. My job was executing their vision and print the edition; however, editioning is where I usually turn my brain off and let my hands do the work.

Thank you to Intern Samuel Cowan!

P.R.I.N.T Press thanks Samuel Cowan for serving as an intern in spring 2017. This was Sam's second semester working at the press. A BFA candidate with a major in Printmaking, Sam worked on several projects:  

Another semester has now come and gone and my time at P.R.I.N.T has gone with it. The experience I have gained over my year with P.R.I.N.T will prove to be an invaluable tool when shaping my own professional practice and standards of operation. I have been so thankful for the opportunities provided to me through the press to work with visiting artists and assist in the production of their work. It has been a busy academic year with the introduction and conclusion of Jeffery Dell's laser cut wood block project, and edition printing for visiting artist Linda Ridgway and Katherine Brimberry of Flatbed Press. . .

Thank you to our helpers!

We owe a debt of gratitude to the many people who assisted the Jeffrey Dell project at P.R.I.N.T:

MFA candidates Jessie Barnes, Sarah Ellis, Christina Kellum, Zackary Petot, Kayla Seedig, and David Villegas; and BFA candidates Christin Clemons, Samuel Cowan, Jessica Gengenbach, Xiao Liu, Samarpan Majarhan, Grady McConnell, Cameron Tanner; and faculty/staff Lari Gibbons, Thomas Menikos, and Syd Webb. And of course, P.R.I.N.T couldn't do anything without Angela Vanecek (Studio Administrative Coordinator), Robert Jessup (Studio Chair), and Ursula Williams (Web Strategist).

This project was made possible by the Greater Denton Arts Council, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and UNT's College of Visual Art & Design.

Thank you everyone! We couldn't do it without you!

Congratulations David Villegas!

 

MFA Candidate David Villegas was accepted to participate in the Tamarind Institute's Summer Workshop. This is a highly competitive, four-week workshop for teachers and students of lithography in techniques for successful printing with aluminum plates. Congratulations David!

Congratulations Sam Cowan!

Congratulations to Samuel (Sam) Cowan, who gave a poster presentation at University Scholars Day as an Undergraduate Research Fellow. Entitled New Technologies in Fine Art Printing, his presentation was the summation of research he completed this academic year.

The Undergraduate Research Fellowship program is made possible by The Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Office of Research and Economic Development, and the Honors College. Way to go, Sam!

Thank you Sam Cowan!

Intern Sam Cowan works with Jeff Dell at P.R.I.N.T

Thank you to Sam Cowan for serving as an Intern at the press! A BFA candidate in Printmaking, Sam worked as the fall 2016 Intern at P.R.I.N.T and will present at Scholars Day in April 2017 for an Honor's College Undergraduate Research Fellowship. In this essay Sam Cowan shares his thoughts about working at the press: 

I have been very fortunate with my time at P.R.I.N.T Press. It has afforded me a valuable window into the day to day operations of a professional press, as well as the opportunity to learn some standard practices behind working collaboratively, particularly in an academic setting. The skills learned and experience gained will help me shape a more sustainable, enjoyable studio practice on my own outside of school.

This week at PRINT: Color proofing!

This week PRINT's crew Thomas Menikos, David Villegas, Kayla Seedig, and Sam Cowan are working hard to match Jeff Dell's RTP ("Right-to-Proof") so they can start printing the edition! #unt #untcvad #print

A photo posted by PRINT Press (@print_press) on Oct 19, 2016 at 8:38am PDT

Thank you Jeffrey Dell!

Student assistants with visiting artist Jeffrey Dell at the press

Thank you to visiting artist Jeffrey Dell, who collaborated at P.R.I.N.T Press to produce a an original fine art relief print. P.R.I.N.T's team of students will print an edition of the print in the coming year, and the project will be completed during Jeffrey Dell's upcoming visit in spring 2017. 

While at UNT, Jeffrey Dell worked in CVAD's Fab Lab; gave a formal lecture and two open portfolio sessions; and critiqued student work, all the while developing his image at P.R.I.N.T. Check out photos of these events on our Facebook page! Also, check out our new @print_press Instagram feed in which students post their own photos of the events. 

Intern and Undergraduate Fellow Sam Cowan assists Jeffrey Dell

This portion of Jeffrey Dell's visit was made possible by CVAD's Gallery Visiting Artist and Scholar Series; CVAD's Fab Lab; the Department of Studio Printmaking and Sculpture areas; and P.R.I.N.T Press. Upcoming public events will be made possible with the support of the Greater Denton Arts Council, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

@print_press on Instagram!

Our Instagram feed was beautiful this week. Did you catch it?

Revealing grain @dellpesce #reliefprinting #visitingartist #puzzle #shapes #gradients #printmaking

A photo posted by PRINT Press (@print_press) on Sep 30, 2016 at 1:41pm PDT

P.R.I.N.T on Instagram!

P.R.I.N.T has a new Instagram account where you can get insider's view of our activities! Our student assistants will take over the feed to show some of the work they do for our visiting artists. Check us out at print_press! 

Welcome Sam, David and Thomas!

(L – R) Sam Cowan, David Villegas,  and Thomas Menikos

Students, staff and volunteers play important roles at P.R.I.N.T, assisting every aspect of our operation. This semester we're excited to welcome three new people to the press (L – R):

Sam Cowan is a P.R.I.N.T Intern and our first 2016–17 Undergraduate Research Fellowship recipient. For his Fellowship, Sam will work in the research-guided environment at P.R.I.N.T and will present a poster or paper on UNT Scholars Day in April 2017. He is working towards a BFA in Printmaking in UNT's College of Visual Arts and Design.

David Villegas is an MFA candidate in Printmaking at UNT. David received a BFA in Printmaking with a minor in Computer Art from from West Texas A&M University and a BS in Biology. He has assisted several previous collaborations and we're pleased he has joined us for his Graduate Assistantship! 

Thomas Menikos is the new UNT Printmaking Technician. Thomas received his Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art in 2016 from the University of Dallas and a BFA from the University of North Texas. His hard work and positive contributions are already making a big difference at UNT Printmaking and at P.R.I.N.T!

Welcome David, Sam, and Thomas!

Congratulations Jaime Durham (BFA 2014)!

Jaime Durham, Sanctuary, 2014

Congratulations to Jaime Durham (Printmaking BFA 2014, former P.R.I.N.T Intern and part-time assistant), who will attend the Professional Training Program at Tamarind Institute this fall!

Offered in conjunction with the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, Tamarind has the only formal educational program in the world for professional fine art collaborative printers. We are so proud that one of our alumna will participate. Congratulations, Jaime!

Congratulations Jessie Barnes (MFA 2017)!

Monotype by Jessie Barnes

Congratulations Jessie Barnes (MFA 2017) for winning the Frogman's Printmaking Workshop Graduate Student Scholarship. As the scholarship recipient Jessie will have a solo exhibition during the Frogman's Printmaking Workshops. Jessie competed with graduate students from across the US for this highly-competitive award.

Jessie served as a Graduate Assistant at P.R.I.N.T from 2014 – 15.