Printing at the December Meeting

Printing was focus of December's meeting of Salt City Book Arts, once again held at Syracuse University Library, this time down in Peter's Preservation Department. Carrie and DJ were hosts and demonstrated the workings of DJ's press with some polymer plates Carrie had prepared especially for the meeting with the name of our young group and today's date.

Thank you both for bringing the press and demonstrating its operation. That was fun. Also present again was a show-n-tell with books by Carrie and Peter and hand-colored prints by DJ.

Paper, polymer plates, ink, and the press. What more do you need?


Inking up the press.

Carrie getting the press set up. The plate is in place and the press inked up.

Carrie and DJ checking out the workings of the press.

Carrie printing the keepsake.

While attendance was down from our first meeting, we hope that you will consider becoming involved and sharing your experiences with other like-minded folks. We welcome your suggestions and comments. Email links for Carrie and Peter in the sidebar at right.

2nd Salt City Book Arts Meeting, December 4th, 11 – 2

Hello, Book Art Aficionados!! The weeks have flown by and it is time for another meeting of the Salt City Book Arts! Join us on Saturday, December 4th for camaraderie and our Thrilling Main Event: Printing on a Tabletop Press!! We'll have a dainty little Adana press set up with a choice of papers and different bookish themes for you to print. Let us crank out our own letterpress prints while talking shop and seeing what work others are doing. As usual (I know, it's only 2nd meeting!) we will have Show and Tell Time so do bring some ongoing or completed samples of what you do. Judging from our last meeting, there is a lot of interesting work being made all over the city just waiting to be seen! I hope you all can come out for a good time meeting others involved in bookmaking, printing, design, etc. AND also to make your own keepsake letterpress prints!! Please let us know if you have any ideas, suggestions, comments. We look forward to hearing from you!

The meeting will be held from 11am to 2pm at Syracuse University's Bird Library in the Dept of Preservation. The address is 222 Waverly Ave, Syracuse, NY 13224. Metered parking is available in front of the Library and on Walnut Street. For directions see http://library.syr.edu/about/liblocation/. Once in the library go down the stairs and head towards the Pepto Bismol (tm) pink wall, then right, then left, first door on the right is Dept of Preservation. Look for signs.

Carrie & Peter
Salt City Book Arts

First Meeting of Salt City Book Arts

Salt City Book Arts had its first meeting today at Syracuse University's Bird Library. Most of us have spent many hours reading online about what others have been doing in their studios/shops making books, letterpress printing, paper marbling and so many other related skills. So, it was about time for some of us in Central New York to meet in person for camaraderie, show and tell, discussions, movies and related activities.

Following introductions, the focus of our first meeting was a screening of the film Proceed and Be Bold about the printer, Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr.

How far would you go for your one true love? Would you give up all of your earthly possessions, your job, and your family? What if your one true love was a printing press? At 40 years of age, Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. abandoned the traditional American Dream to follow his own. Unsatisfied with his comfortable, middle-class life, Amos traded in his computer for a printing press and his white collar for a pair of overalls. Armed with life, liberty, peanuts, and a meager yearly income of $7,000, Amos cranked out a new, mutinous declaration of independence. Proceed and Be Bold! joins Amos for a titillating retelling of his story, while examining the pretensions and provisions of the art world. The work of this self-proclaimed "Humble Negro Printer" raises emotionally-charged questions and reveals remarkable depth beneath the bold print. By learning the rules and then choosing to break them, Amos redefines what life (and letterpress printing) can be: exhilarating and subversive. His provocative sense of humor seeps out of every word he speaks and his radical philosophies on the American consciousness (or unconsciousness) will awaken any listless bystander. After experiencing Amos' humble journey, you'll never look at your middle class life the same way again.

Following the movie, we shared current projects, discuss ideas for future meetings and get to know others interested in the printerly/bookerly/designerly arts!





As always with groups like this, broad participation helps ensure success. If you are interested in attending meetings, are interested in offering a program, or have ideas in general, please let us know (Links at right). We hope to meet every 6-8 weeks.

We look forward to welcoming you.