Celebrate diverse voices by joining our three visiting letterpress printers, Jennifer Graves, Melissa Blount, and Desiree Aspiras for an evening of community and printing. Unleash your creativity and pay homage to remarkable women throughout history by crafting your own unique pieces using the Museum’s vintage wood type.
This event is part of our BIWOC (Black, Indigenous, Women of Color) 2025 residency at the museum. Our visiting artists will be on site for two weeks to print, offer a workshop and on-site gallery talk. This residency in our letterpress printing studio is being done to help empower marginalized voices and actively engage individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Date & Time:
Friday, June 20, 5:30pm – 8:30pm Central
Location:
Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum, 1816 10th Street, Two Rivers, WI 54241
Workshop Cost:
Pay what you can: $15/25/45 Total
Experience Level:
No previous experience is necessary for this event; we will provide step-by-step instructions. The minimum age requirement for workshop participants for this event is 18+.
Instructors:
Melissa Blount is an artist, writer, and licensed clinical psychologist practicing her craft in Evanston, Illinois. Her textile pieces explore notions of Black womanhood, trauma, and white supremacy in America. She often works with antique household linens as a canvas to reshape and reimagine the narratives around Black women and domesticity that are deeply woven into the fabric of our country. She cultivates unique opportunities for people to contribute to these conversations through community sewing circles and public actions. As a passionate local community activist and volunteer, she was a founding member of MEET (Making Evanston Equitable Together), OPAL (Organization for Positive Action and Leadership), and Artist Book House, local nonprofits and organizations that worked in advocacy, political action and the arts. She’s also an experienced clinician and lecturer presenting throughout the country on Black health, wellness, trauma, and the opportunities for healing and community building through the visual arts.
Jennifer (Jenn) Graves is an educator, bookbinder, and letterpress printer in Los Angeles, CA. Her work has been exhibited both in the US and internationally. Jennifer teaches Book Projects at Otis College of Art and Design and bookmaking and printing workshops at various entities, including the Printing Museum and her SCRAPScollective studio.
Desiree Aspiras is an educator, therapist, and facilitator. Her work is focused on integrating creative, contemplative, and healing-centered approaches into her work in mental health, higher education, and social justice. She enjoys letterpress printing, poetry, printmaking, book arts, and collage. She is also an Acosta Institute Fellow, and the founder of Printmakers Against Racism and Deep Breath Press.
The cost is $15/25/45 per person, with the museum providing all the materials you will need to create unique posters. The workshop begins promptly at 5:30 pm and ends at 8:30 pm. The doors open at 5:15pm for check-in or to shop at our retail store. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and clothes that may get ink on them.
Space is limited, so registration and a non-refundable deposit are required; the balance is due at the beginning of the workshop. The "Pay What You Can" options are listed below.
⎻Payment Option 1: $9 deposit + $6 day of workshop ($15 total)
⎻Payment Option 2: $15 deposit + $10 day of workshop ($25 total)
⎻Payment Option 3: $25 deposit + $20 day of workshop ($45 total)
If you have any questions, please e-mail us at info@woodtype.org or call (920) 663-8671.