phil elverum 'night palace' book release

We (Craft Printing House) have just finished casting, printing and binding a new chapbook by Phil Elverum, a companion to Mt. Eerie’s latest album Night Palace. The standard edition is a run of 2000, 56 pages with soft cover and a wrap-around dust jacket. There is an additional lettered edition which will be cloth bound by Jules Remedios Faye, with hand lettered spine and cover labels done by Phil. It’s the first book we’ve produced start to finish at the Clatskanie shop space—cast on the Linotype 31, text block and covers printed on the Heidelberg 13x18, and the dust jackets on the Vandercook Universal 1AB. We’re excited to celebrate the completion at the book release event on October 6, 2024 at the Birkenfeld Theatre.

The release event is part of a pilot Artist in Residency program that the C.C. Stern Type Foundry is sponsoring. Visual or literary artists are able to come to our “campus” in Clatskanie and explore a project with the technical support of the Foundry volunteers (currently by invitation only). As part of this experience, the artist is asked to give some kind of public presentation about their creative process. The poster pictured was composed with a combination of hand set metal foundry type and Linotype (text and decorative material). Printed in two metallic ink colors on the Vandercook Universal 1AB.

50th Annual Gilbert Family Beanhole poster

This colorful poster was designed and printed in the summer of 2024 to commemorate the 50th Gilbert family reunion. Every August generations of the Gilberts gather in Dorset, Vermont to celebrate our connection to each other and to the little corner of the Green Mountain State where at least five generations have resided. We have a fire, bury a pot of beans, go for a hike, attend to gravesites or hold memorials, sleep, dig up the beans and have a potluck, hold an auction, eat fresh strawberry ice cream, look at scrapbooks and note the “best beans ever” in the official record. It’s no ordinary reunion.

Letterpress, wood and metal type, carved linoleum block, relief background tint

Dimensions: 12” x 18”


Hand-set wood type and metal type, dutch oven (bean pot) carved from a mounted linoleum block.
Color tint printed from a litho blanket. Letterpress printed on Tango C1S in three colors.

Short film on barbarian press

This short documentary tells the story of Jan and Crispin Elsted, who for over 30 years have made books by hand, letterpress printed from metal type and wood engravings. It’s a portrait that reinforces what it is to live for your passion. Released in 2016, and recirculating on vimeo now.

Raymond Carver Writing Festival 2024

The Raymond Carver Writing Festival takes place annually in Clatskanie, Oregon, the birthplace of Raymond Carver. I’ve been involved the last couple years as a volunteer through the C.C. Stern Type Foundry, but this year Brian and I were asked to head up the six person organizing committee. This year’s theme is “Where I’m Calling From,” referencing the title of one of Carver’s short stories and a short story collection.

The 2024 Raymond Carver Writing Festival is May 17th-18th! Starting Friday evening at 5pm the festival offers a writers & publishers fair, reception and keynote presenters, followed by poetry and prose readings at multiple venues. From 10am-5pm Saturday there are participatory readings, workshops, and chances for writers to gather at various locations around the town of Clatskanie. Saturday evening culminates with “Poetry and Pie” a catered farm-to-table dinner, community pie potluck, and open mic poetry reading from 6-9pm.

Featured presenters include Kim Stafford, Robert Michael Pyle, and Chad Wriglesworth (Raymond Carver Review); joined by Joseph Green, Scott MacGregor, Michael Mills (Raymond Carver Podcast), Marianne Monson, Laura Moulton, Ben Parzybok, Ed Skoog, Mac Stripling, Justin Taylor, and more.

Join in for a weekend of fun to celebrate the craft of writing and support a community of regional writers. All efforts have been made to keep events free and open to the public.

Persist! Movement and Protest Art Exhibit

I’m proud to have two of my print works, Maple Nation and Reciprocity, included in a show at the North Seattle College Art Gallery through April 26, 2024. Both pieces are from the collection of Jenny Wilkson.

“Persist: Movement and Protest Art" pulls together posters, art, zines, and ephemera from collections of Seattle artists. The exhibition focuses on pieces made in the last decade that educate, inspire, and fuel resistance in the face of a white supremacist, capitalist, patriarchal world.

Persist! Movement and Protest Art
March 11 – April 26, 2024
North Seattle College Art Gallery
Visit Monday-Thursday 11-5 pm & Friday 11 am - 2 pm

Codex 2024 Book Fair and Symposium

In early February, the Codex Foundation held their biannual book fair and symposium in Berkeley, California. Over 200 book artists and organizations related to book making fill the hall for 4 days. It’s an amazing variety of work from all over the world, and there is always some gem of inspiration to be found.

For the first time in the four years I’ve gone to Codex, I also was able to attend the symposium talks. The theme was “Translation: Literal, Material, and Artistic License” and each of the speakers added another layer of interpretation. Kudos to Inge Bruggeman, Codex Director, for her curation of a stellar line-up. Of special note was Abra Ancliffe’s presentation of her current work in progress related to Kepler’s Astronomia Nova. You can see the symposium recordings on the Codex website.

After so many years with events like this on hold, it was also lovely to find some fellowship in between the official events — gathering with typecasters friends from near and far, and with book artist printers that we rarely see.

The Point Vol. 4

The current issue of the The Point, the newsletter of the C.C. Stern Type Foundry, is fresh off the press! It was a couple months of struggle to figure out justification and spacing issues we were encountering on the Monotype Composition caster, far longer than we originally anticipated.  Once the problems were identified and adjustments made, the type came out fast and hot. The Point (Vol. 4) is set primarily in Monotype 12pt. Baskerville, with additions in 8pt. Linotype Spartan. Great to have the foundry all abuzz with making this holiday season!

Rambler Coasters

Letterpress, hand-set metal type and Linotype composition
4” x 4”

In early August of 2023, in the midst of blackberry season, a good friend celebrated their 55th birthday. The recipe was modified from the “Bramble” genre of drinks, and these coasters were created in honor of the occasion. Additional sets were distributed to the Fall 2023 NW Letterpress Network group exchange.

Using random display type from the galley labeled “To Redistribute” (standing now for nearly 20 years), Franklin Gothic, and fresh Linotype Caslon Bold. Printed in a small edition on the tabletop Craftsman press with metallic ink.

“What Belongs in Your Archives?” Legacy Discussion Group

Artists’ Legacy Foundation holds their autumn Legacy Discussion Group this Saturday, October 14, 2023 with the theme “What Belongs in Your Archives?” This is a free roundtable discussion about long-term planning, hosted on Zoom. This gathering will discuss archives, thinking through what objects, images, and papers help to tell an artist's story. The discussion group facilitator will share ideas and examples, and welcomes advice and perspectives from artists, family members, and estate managers.

RSVP to Artists Legacy Foundation

West Coast Typecasting Skillshare

Back in June, we tried out another experiment in programming for the C.C. Stern Type Foundry in the new rural location. For three days we hosted the typecasting department of Arion Press (M&H Type) at our facility. From morning to evening we applied ourselves to an exchange of information and skills, breaking for a meal at the end of the day. The fellers at M&H are certainly more experienced at running the Monotype composition caster, and so gave us tutorials on common issues and repairs we might need to make as we run the machine more often—cleaning the moulds, assessing the condition of the type carrier, and adjusting the cycle speed for the Welliver interface, in addition to showing us their new method for perfecting type alignment. Besides some practice using the hand mould, and some nerding out on the Variable Frequency Drives for 3-phase power conversion, we introduced them to operation of the Linotype, equipment they don’t have access to at their current facility.  We were able to cast enough lines on the machine to print a short poem offered by our resident poet, Joe Green. It was a good way to test the idea of smaller hands on work sessions at the C.C. Stern Type Foundry, and a terrific exchange all around.

I will be in San Francisco later this month and am looking forward to dropping by the M&H foundry in the Presidio to follow up on all the progress both parties have made with machine repairs and improvements.  

Pictured above: Joe Green, Brian Bagdonas, Chris Godek, Kris Branco, Connie Blauwkamp, Chris Chen, Rebecca Gilbert, Brian Ferrett

Northwest Letterpress Network at the C.C. Stern Type Foundry

The July 8th, 2023 Northwest Letterpress Network meeting was held at the new C.C. Stern Type Foundry in Clatskanie. When this group started in 2018, the foundry hosted nearly every month and continued to be the default location up until the COVID pandemic moved the gatherings online. When things started up again, the foundry was in the process of packing and relocating to a location far less convenient for the regular attendees. So it was delightful to host and be among nearly 20 print enthusiasts last month at the new facility where volunteers gave a brief overview of the organization, demonstrated casting processes using the hand mould and Linotype, and participants were invited to print a keepsake poster on the proof press in our print shop.

Registration Open for Archiving for Visual Artists Workshop

I’m excited to be offering the Archiving for Visual Artists: Career Documentation and Legacy Considerations workshop at X Gallery Art for the second year in a row. This six session workshop offers guidelines, best practices, and discussion about artwork inventory and storage, studio workflow, legacy goals and planning.

Registration is open now, and closes at the end of the month.

Dates: Aug 30, Sept 13, Sept 27, Oct 11, Oct 25, Nov 8 (2023)
Day and Time: Wednesdays, 4-6:30pm
Ages: 18 and Up
Skill Level: All
Tuition: $450 (Optional studio visit +$90)
Class Size: 5 minimum, 8 maximum

This workshop is designed for visual artists with an active practice, who are looking for structured support around the process of planning and documentation.

Learn more and register:
https://www.xgalleryart.com/workshop-registration

American Typecasting Fellowship (ATF) Conference 2023

From April 28-30, 2023 just over thirty five people gathered in the Portland, Maine area to convene about all things typecasting. As usual there were presentations, technical sessions related to specific casting machines, an auction and small swap meet. It’s a chance to learn from the hosts and invited instructors on the equipment in their shops, but also to swap updates and information with others who are casting type in the US and internationally. Our hosts were Scott Vile of Ascensius Press and David Wolfe of Wolfe Editions. It was a real honor to spend time in their shops. Both proprietors have extensive typecasting knowledge, but neither had attended an ATF conference before. As part of this one, David Wolfe was able to install a new Welliver interface on his composition caster with the help of the system’s inventor, Bill Welliver, and highlight the addition as part of the technical session.

The presentations featured a lot of information about recent matrix engraving projects undertaken by Jason at Greenboathouse Press, Val at Bowerbox Press, Patrick and Jurie at Letter Kunde Press, and a census of Benton Engravers undertaken by David MacMillan. Of course, there were updates about major moves, historical matrices transferred from storage, and general goings on — some formal and some informal. The fellowship of these events are always valuable. Thanks to all involved for another great gathering!

If you are actively involved or interested in typecasting, there is a hotmetal listserv to share resources, information about available (or wanted) equipment, and general discussion. Sign up through this link.

Northwest Archivists Conference May 3-5

The Northwest Archivist’s Annual Meeting is just a month away! This year activities will be held in Salem, Oregon at the Convention Center, which is centrally located downtown. The theme is “Looking Back, Moving Forward,” I am excited to attend and to hear more about how the field of archives continues to adjust and embrace change. It will be the first time the group has met in person in three years. Archive curious? I hope you will join me there.

Schedule at a glance

New Feet!

This year marked a real turning point in my relationship with the Universal 1 that we’ve stewarded for nearly two decades — we finally took it off the 4x4 skids and added feet! For years the press has been “a little” too high for me to operate comfortably, yet it was mounted into the skids in such a way that it seemed like the dismounting might cause more problems than it solved. With this move to a new shop space in Clatskanie, we decided it was time to invest in some heavy duty adjustable machine feet and lower it to a more sane (and level) height.

Since NA Graphics wasn’t able to access anything in the Vandercook blueprints as far as replacement or manufacture of the original feet, here are the specs:
Bolt-Down Swivel Leveling Mount
4" Long 3/4"-10 Threaded Stud
3" Diameter Base

I’m super pleased, and it’s printing beautifully since the adjustment.

Parenthesis 43 Journal Article

The Autumn 2022 issue of Parenthesis, the journal of the Fine Press Book Association, includes an article on the C.C. Stern Type Foundry that I co-authored with Brian Bagdonas. Editor Nina Schneider curated a selection of articles that broadly fit the topic of Movement, and FPBA Chair Inge Bruggeman graciously suggested our inclusion. This issue has interviews with Amos Paul Kennedy, T-Kay Sangwand, Susan Joy Share, and a bit of history about Claire Van Vliet and Janus Press. Our article, entitled “Expanding Back to Our Roots,” pays tribute to the generosity of Jules Faye and Chris Stern, the community they fostered and which has supported both the formation and latest expansion of the C.C. Stern Type Foundry.

Copies of Parenthesis 43 are available from the fpba.com website.

Archiving for Visual Artists Workshop

I’m offering a workshop for visual artists related to career documentation, archiving and legacy considerations this coming autumn. It’s a 6 session class, held every other week on Wednesday evenings at the X Gallery Art Storage space. Each session will offer guidelines, best practices, and discussion about specific areas of artwork inventory and storage, studio workflow and management, archive formation, legacy goals and planning specific to artists.

Learn more and register on the X Gallery Art website

Presentation at Northwest Archivists Conference

On Wednesday, May 4 at 11am, I’ll be involved in a presentation about working with artists’ archives, touching on the importance of career documentation, collection preservation and storage, management, legacy planning for living artists, and stewardship specific to artwork collections. This presentation is part of the 2022 Northwest Archivists Conference “Not to be Forgotten: the resiliency and sustainability of archives to preserve untold stories” which will be held virtually from May 2-5. Register and find out more on the conference website.

NWA Program Schedule

Women in Type

Women in Type was a three year research project at the University of Reading led by Fiona Ross, Alice Savoie, and Helena Lekka, and highlights the contributions of women to the type manufacturing process. The British Monotype and Linotype companies each employed women as part of departments where they worked to develop and produce typefaces that were often attributed completely to male designers. The Women in Type website is the result of an effort to make this research more accessible to the general public. It includes an overview of roles and responsibilities, brief histories of women who were employed by both corporations (based on first person interviews), and an excellent reading list.

Marie Watt Studio Archive

Images copyright Marie Watt Studio (Instagram)

In mid-2021, I began work with artist Marie Watt and Studio Manager Madalyn Barelle to better organize their studio archives. I started by assessing their existing print and drawing inventory, sorting and labeling in addition to updating the records and inventory numbers in their studio collection management database. We were able to rearrange materials to increase accessibility and improve the work flow in that area of the studio, separating the archives into “deep storage” or legacy items, occasional use, and more frequently accessed works on paper. When applicable, archival enclosures were replaced to be more durable and most efficient with storage space (at a premium in a prolific artist’s studio). Much of this work was funded by a grant from the Regional Arts and Culture Council in preparation for Marie’s mid-career print retrospective at UC San Diego, “Storywork: The Prints of Marie Watt,” scheduled to open February 4, 2022.

As we look to the year ahead, I will continue to assist with annual archiving needs, inventory and database updates, digital record cataloguing, and ongoing discussions related to long-term legacy planning. It’s an exciting time in the studio as the team has grown to include another Studio Manager and a dynamic group of artist assistants. The pace and the amount of new work constantly in creation means a functional archiving and inventory system is important to both idea generation and productive workflow.

You can find out more about Marie Watt’s art, upcoming exhibitions and community engaged events at mariewattstudio.com.