Artists-in-Residence Julie Chen, e bond, and Sharon Jue brought their fresh perspectives and boundless energy to Hamilton for two weeks to print, offer a workshop, and deliver an on-site gallery talk as part of our 2024 BIWOC (Black, Indigenous, Women of Color) summit.

This residency in our letterpress printing studio was held to help empower marginalized voices and actively engage individuals from diverse backgrounds through demonstrations and workshops. 

Residency Printing
During the two-week residency, each of the three artists expanded their lines of artistic pursuit through letterpress work with equipment, type, and image blocks in the museum’s collection.

Julie Chen printed with a set of wood type cut for her by the Hamilton Wood Shop. The type face Konop is part of Hamilton’s Type Legacy program, and was chosen by Julie because its modularity and hefty stroke echoed the themes of her prints that will become part of an artist’s book about monuments.

e bond printed large ‘E’ and ‘O’ shapes and overlaid them with other type in abstract patterns.

Sharon Jue printed large overlapping numbers in semi-transparent and flourescent colors. She also printed with large X and O letters to create prints for the "Stop AAPI Hate" campaign.  

"Words in Wood" Workshop
At a sold-out workshop, participants worked with the three artists/educators to create a print with a personal quote or mantra. The prints were then incorporated into a Turkish-map-fold artists' book. 

Gallery Talk
During the gallery talk, the three artists discussed their professional and artistic trajectories. 

Julie Chen discussed her work as a book artist, letterpress printer, and educator, whose past projects examined her identity through several lenses. She currently teaches at UW-Madison. 

e bond discussed her abstract and bright work, and series in progress such as her Questions Project. She is currently working with Free Spirit Fabrics to produce distinct lines of fabric based on themes in her work. 

Sharon Jue discussed how familial traditions and beliefs have influenced her work, including the significance of certain numerals.

This engagement was supported by the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Wisconsin Arts Board.