Out of the blue, Alec Dempster wrote to tell me about his new book, Lotería Huasteca. I know a good deal about Mexico, but never heard of the Huasteca. This book is both charming and illuminating. Its woodblock prints provide 54 little windows into the Huasteca culture of East-Central Mexico. Oddly enough, last week we had a masterContinue reading “A Culture Cut in Wood by Alec Dempster”
Tag Archives: woodblock prints
Orale! Alan Altamirano esta en Kutztown.
Alan Altamirano makes art about women, beautiful women. The 27-year old artist is from Oaxaca, Mexico, a city famed for its food and visual arts. Like many of the best Oaxacan artists of his generation he studied with Maestro Shinzaburo Takeda at the School of Fine Arts at the University of Benito Juarez, Oaxaca. TodayContinue reading “Orale! Alan Altamirano esta en Kutztown.”
OAXACA KU Study Abroad Winter 2015
Update: Kutztown U’s Oaxaca Course will be offered again. Tentative dates: Dec.27, 2015 to Jan.10 2016. Details in August. For a new non-credit 6-day (Jan 10-15, 2016) Oaxaca printmaking workshop see offering here via Oaxaca Cultural Navigator. Kutztown University is offering an affordable opportunity to study in Oaxaca, Mexico with Prof. Kevin McCloskey. Oaxaca may the bestContinue reading “OAXACA KU Study Abroad Winter 2015”
Medula Negra of Xalapa
Sebastian Fund is an artist on the move. He was born in Argentina, moved to Mexico as a child, and is now beginning an artist’s residency in Havana, Cuba. He collects abandoned shoes. He deconstructs them, inks them up and prints them. The remarkable results evoke the humanity of the individuals that once walked in thoseContinue reading “Medula Negra of Xalapa”
DRIVE BY PRESS to Park at KU
The Legendary Drive By Press, touring woodcut printmakers, will print in Kutztown, PA, next week. They will do a brief residency in the KU Printmaking Studio and present an illustrated lecture: Thursday, Sept 12 6pm @ 120 Sharadin, Free and open to the public. Here is the scoop thanks to this guest post by Lindsay Derecola, KUContinue reading “DRIVE BY PRESS to Park at KU”
New Street Art in OAXACA
MACO,The Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Oaxaca has an exhibition of street art on its walls. Does street art belong in a museum? Well, MACO’s Hecho en Oaxaca spills over into the streets. The artists came from all over the globe, Swoon, The Date Farmers, How and Nosm, MOMO, Retna, Saner, StenLex, and Vhils. OaxacanContinue reading “New Street Art in OAXACA”
Moku Hanga, Not a Coffee: Lessons in Japanese printmaking
April Vollmer recently taught a two-day Moku Hanga workshop at the Printmaking Center of New Jersey. KU Prof Elaine Cunfer and I took the class along with five other students. I know a bit about Japanese prints, but had never tried my hand at the traditional Moku Hanga woodblock printing technique. April, a great teacher andContinue reading “Moku Hanga, Not a Coffee: Lessons in Japanese printmaking”
Art Drawn in Blood
Saturday I took the early bus from Kutztown to New York City to deliver a print to a downtown gallery. I’ve shown my illustration work at the Society of Illustrators during their teacher shows, but this will be different. This is a juried “fine art” exhibition at Sacred Gallery, 420 Broadway. Emerging from the Canal St.Continue reading “Art Drawn in Blood”
St. Patrick & His Miracles & Me
Patrick McCloskey was born in Killycolman, County Donegal, Ireland. He was my grandfather. He immigrated to the US around 1915. His family in Ireland called him “Paddy the Yank.” He celebrated his birthday on St. Patrick’s Day. My middle name is Patrick, after him. There are many Pat McCloskeys. I’ve got a wife named Patt,Continue reading “St. Patrick & His Miracles & Me”
Once and Future Prints
Illustrators rejoice over the resurgence of interest in prints. Some illustrators are also fine printmakers. Some printmakers are illustrators. Above is a print by an artist who manages to live in both worlds, Frances Jetter. We will see her artwork in Kutztown soon. Kutztown University’s Invitational Print Exhibition opens Thurs., Sept. 6. Professor Evan SummerContinue reading “Once and Future Prints”