Starshaped may be a one-woman shop, but it would have been impossible to get the shop where it is today without the people and places that formed my ideas of print and community. In no particular order, here are a few of those relationships built over the past 25 years.
John Upchurch was the man behind Fireproof Press, the magic place where I learned how to print while finishing a design degree. Focused on music packaging and offbeat ephemera, Fireproof was ahead of its time in producing letterpress printed projects that gave visuals to a burgeoning DIY scene. The sum of knowledge about print, business and life I gained while there and after it closed can’t be measured. This ongoing friendship is one I value; seeing my kid build a relationship with John and his family makes my heart sing.
For a few great years, we decked out our Madsen cargo bike and rode to events and Kidical Mass rides, sharing the fun of print with kids (and adults!) We started with a small Sigwalt press mounted to the back, then swapped it for two homemade galley presses. You can see more about the Press Bike here. While we have no plans to revisit the experience, it’s always a possibility for the future.
Paul Aken and his Platen Press Museum were absolutely pivotal in my development as a printer. I met Paul the summer of 2001 at a print conference. I started visiting the museum once a week to round out my knowledge of printing and to pitch in with maintenance and type identification. Sadly, Paul died this fall and we are left with memories and a building full of history. I’ll be sharing more details and experiences with Paul, as well as the museum and its future, soon.
The Chicago Printers Guild was assembled by a bunch of local, scrappy printmakers and has grown to encompass printers from many disciplines. With regular meetings and events, it’s an opportunity for newly arrived or young printers to find an instant community. Pieces from members are also collected and archived at the Chicago Public Library. Starshaped was there from the beginning and throughout its growth. I encourage all Chicago-based printmakers to join!
Typeforce is a yearly local show featuring work that incorporates type in interesting or new ways. The shows always display an eclectic mix of projects, ranging from the hand drawn to elaborate digital creations. I’ve had three projects included that involved a lot of work but netted great results. You can read more about them here, here and here.
Mr. Starshaped came into my life when the studio was a young toddler. A staunch supporter of what he called ‘the family business,’ he was instrumental in providing emotional and physical heavy lifting. A proud member of IATSE Local 2 stagehands, it was this group that made it possible to move smoothly into the current studio and recently, for Jo, now in a wheelchair, to move easily into our home. We lost Mr. S in 2016 to an aggressive cancer but his support will always be part of the history of the shop.
In 2017, I was a Newberry Library Fellow. Given my limited experience with higher ed and not being a scholar/researcher, this was an honor. I spent a lot of time researching elements that would ultimately guide my typo-speci-memoir, The City is My Religion. It also cemented a partnership that has seen collaborations on numerous prints and a hand-drawn rendering of the mosaic floors in the library for promotional purposes.
I spent one blissful 2019 week at John Horn’s Shooting Star Press in Little Rock, Arkansas, alongside Jo, Jessica Spring, Geri McCormick and Delita Martin. John’s shop is special to me because of how organized and accessible his thousands of typefaces and ornaments are. It’s a veritable treasure trove and I furiously created two prints over the course of the week. Our relationship has grown over time and John is a huge supporter of Starshaped. Bonus shot of superstar Jessica!
The studio has been involved in two documentaries about hometown heroine, Ida B. Wells. The first was this one, produced for our local PBS station, and featured an actress as Ida, communicating with my pal, Ben Blount, shown here on the press. I set type to mimic Wells’ original pamphlets for Ben to print on camera. The second also featured the life and work of Richard Hunt; you can learn more about it here.
It’s important to me to celebrate those carrying on the craft of typecasting. Whenever I see someone creating something new, I grab it (if it’s appropriate for work in the shop). Two examples are from Val Lucas and Russell Maret. Val has been learning the art of type design for casting and has produced a number of borders, ornaments and type. Russell is a well-known and accomplished book artist who has thankfully shared his type designs with the rest of us.
While Hamilton Wood Type has been around for a very long time, the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum shares their 25th anniversary with Starshaped. Between 2019-2022, I was their Visiting Artist and worked on two large-scale projects. The first was Ham at 20, a collection of prints created by printers around the country in celebration of the museum’s 20th anniversary. The second was a print installation for my final year and the first in-person wayzgoose in 2022 following pandemic restrictions. You Are Here featured buildings made from deconstructed and retooled prints made while at Hamilton. The ‘windows’ included responses to prompts by the print community. Read all about it here.
Many fantastic and talented interns have passed through the studio. Most stay for a few weeks and one never left. Lindsay Schmittle was a short termer while finishing college and went on to start Gingerly Press. Raychel Steinbach showed up one day and hasn’t left. She has developed her own wonderful work under the name Current Location Press. I’m immensely proud of these two friends and it’s a privilege to be a small part of their journeys.
Jo is the studio’s printers devil and a regular fixture for the past 18 years. Their first printing at 3 years old was photographed and immortalized at Paul’s Platen Press Museum. While Jo will not be continuing the ‘family business,’ they have a deep appreciation for craft, running a business and developing the kind of friendships, collaborations and projects that make the struggles worthwhile.
Thanks for reading along and for 25 years of support!