Power & Light Press

It's easy to do. Thanks to interns Kirk and Bethany for these sweet bags.

So, I’m here at Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum in Two Rivers, Wisconsin.  I’m here for three weeks, which is amazing.  Three weeks is plenty of time to fall in love with the place.  Three minutes is all it takes, really.

Hamilton Factory, Two Rivers, Wisconsin

Hamilton was founded in 1880 as a manufacturer of wood type.  By the turn of the century, they had grown to be the largest provider of wood type in the country, supplying type for newspapers, political rallies, circuses, and advertising of all kinds.  As industries changed over the course of the 20th century, Hamilton shifted its focus from type to cabinetry to washing machines.  Each of these transformations has occurred in this same factory building in Two Rivers.  These days, the building is home to the Museum as well as Thermo Fisher Hamilton, which makes laboratory cabinets and furniture.

one of two rivers in Two Rivers, WI

I have taken over 200 photos in the past ten days, and I’m not about to post them all here.  But here’s a sampling of what I’ve been up to.  Much more to come!

this way to the press room!

typesetting a specimen sheet for Van Lanen Latin, named for Jim Van Lanen, founder of the museum

A very large 2. I did not print this, but I love it as if it were my own.

Shannon, in front of shelves of useful things

After leaving Austin and heading north on I-35, I stopped in Dallas and paid a visit to Oil & Cotton, a beautiful community arts studio.  The storefront space opened this past September, and is run by Shannon Driscoll and Kayli House Cusick.  Together, along with other visiting artists, they teach workshops and provide a space for the exchange of ideas and creativity to members of their community.

I was really inspired by their mission statement, and look forward to setting up a workshop when I visit Dallas with the print mobile.

interior of their beautiful space

In their words:

Our motivating philosophy is to make do with what you got. We place a high value on the resourcefulness within ourselves and are dedicated to doing things the old-fashioned way. Whether it is through the reuse or repurposing of materials, like turning fallen walnuts into archival ink, or by accepting the possibilities of what can be created by hand, we honor the pioneering spirit of our elders and the character of our community.

Oil and cotton are natural resources of Dallas, Texas, and also the foundation of the most basic art materials. Oil is a binder in paint and inks. The binder imparts adhesion, binds the pigments together. Cotton is used to produce textiles such as canvas and paper. We believe the arts, like most natural resources, are essential for our survival and quality of life, and we are proud to be a part of our local arts community.

My plan is to build a mobile print shop in the back of an old delivery truck. Within these tight quarters, I’ll create an efficient and fully functional shop, with a small table top press for printing smaller work, and a larger proof press, capable of printing larger posters.

And then I’ll take this rig on the road! I plan on visiting schools, art spaces, city parks, music festivals, craft shows, parties, and anywhere else that might have an interest in learning about printing.

Find out more, donate or just help spread the word via Kickstarter. Thanks!

Hello all!

Thanks for visiting the new and improved Power and Light Press website!  You’re probably here because you want to learn more about Power and Light Press and/or the Moveable Type project.  And believe me – I want to tell you EVERYTHING.  But this website it new to me, so you’ll just have to bear with me as I get myself settled in here.

In the meantime:

SHOP: www.powerandlight.etsy.com

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/powerandlightpress

MOVEABLE TYPE/MOBILE PRINT SHOP PROJECT: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/powerandlightpress/moveable-type-cross-country-adventures-in-printing

I’ll be posting much more content here in the coming weeks, so please stay tuned.

Many thanks!