Setting an Example: Celebrating A Revolutionary Press
The letterpress printery inspiring our hearts to keep going
A Revolutionary Press is a 501c3 that sends out letterpress creations promoting compassion, peace, and justice every month. The press runs on the devoted time of John Vincent, Middlebury College students, visiting artists on the inside and out, and donations from people who want to receive letterpress beauty in the mail every month.
From SaraMarie: My first introduction to A Revolutionary Press was through Spoon, of course. He told me there was “a real cool cat named John Vincent doing letterpress in Vermont.” So of course Spoon connected us and before I knew it I was receiving beautiful letterpress postcards and was on the phone with John. We talked about what Spoon and I were up to with Rabbits of Realness, collaborating with artists on the inside, and printmaking. I pitched two or three zine ideas that Spoon and I were just starting to throw around and asked John to choose his favorite.
John picked the fledgling idea titled “Writing Space to Heal.” I sent over a draft, which had many bunny illustrations, and lots of diagonal handwritten text. I thought we would do a lot of adjusting between the draft and the final product, but John wanted to take on the major typesetting challenge and assigned me the task of reproducing the illustrations and title page in linocut. After 7 months or so of being afraid of messing up the linocuts, which I hadn’t really done before, I finally put sharp carving tools to mini blocks. A friend helped me test print everything, and I shipped them off.
What a gift it was to receive 50 letterpress editions of our collaboration in the mail! Spoon and I usually add something to the reverse of our mini zines so there’s a nice illustration surprise when they’re unfolded. For this project, John mailed about 20 copies of the zine to Spoon to add original artwork to. They’re lovely. I haven’t had the heart to fold them and slice the middle up. Collectors might want to put them in a glass sandwich style frame so they can see both sides.
Aside from these process details and how delightful it is to work with A Revolutionary Press, it is important to also note that they’re the first people I think of when I need an example of who’s doing the work and doing it right.
Every time I get a new set of prints in the mail I am once again inspired and heartened. It makes me feel like I’m not alone, like I’m not losing my mind for wanting peace and believing it’s possible. We can take care of each other. Not only that, the struggle to choose the right course of action has been present with us as a society always. There have always been people who choose to speak up and who choose to help their neighbors no matter the potential consequences. We have a very populated roster of folks all working in the direction of betterment. There are other voices in the night. There have long been people who care. We can keep their voices fresh in our minds by keeping their ideas near us.
Receiving these prints reminds me every single month that art is important. That poetry and writing of all manner is important. It changes hearts and minds and strengthens the soul. It is fuel in the engine to keep going, keep creating, keep loving.
What’s next for the press?
During the month of August at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield, VT, the poets in the Tuesday Afternoon Poetry Group will collaborate with the Press to make the paper from their pulped discarded prison clothing and bedding for the covers that they will design, letterpress print, and bind, in an edition of 60, of their upcoming poetry chapbook. One of these will be entered into the travelling exhibit of art from incarceration.
The Finding Hope Within exhibit also features eight (8) coffee shop postcards which have been written, designed, and letterpress printed since February. in the many hundreds, by the poets. The poets then leave these postcards in the inmate run "Good Spirits" coffee house for others to write and mail out.
The photo below is another recent letterpress printed broadside collaboration (now featured in the exhibit) with the poets and artists and the Press. Their drawing of the pocket watch was carved as a linoleum block by Zoe Gieger, a Middlebury College student from Wellesley, MA. who also participated with the printing of the broadside at the prison. This was printed on the first run of hand made paper by the poets from prison fabric.
Upcoming events in Vermont:
The Finding Hope Within: Healing & Transformation Through the Making of Art Within the Carceral System exhibit at the Henry Sheldon museum in Middlebury, VT, is on now until September 30.
On August 21, at the Henry Sheldon museum, we will screen "Paint Me A Road Out of Here" (featuring artists Faith Ringgold and Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter, it uncovers the whitewashed history of Faith's masterpiece "For the Women's House" and follows its 50-year journey from Rikers Island to the Brooklyn Museum in a heartbreaking, funny & true parable for a world without mass incarceration)
Following the screening the Press will set up a letterpress printing event of free art.
Connect with A Revolutionary Press by sending them some snail mail. Tell them Spoon sent you.