Rochester

The next day, I headed east to Rochester, for an afternoon at Rochester Institute of Technology‘s School of Print Media (that’s RITSPM, for those of you into acronyms).  This was another event that had been on the books forever.  Lisa Deromanis had contacted me way back about coming to campus, and she put together an amazing day.  We started with a luncheon for a group of 30 or so students, faculty, and staff members of the School of Print Media.  And then we moved into about 4 non-stop hours of printing in the truck with students, mostly from the SPM and the art and design programs.  People were psyched! and we all had a really great time.  Thanks to Lisa, and to everyone else who made me feel really welcome.  Later, I got to see the Cary Library, which houses a beautiful collection of rare books and documents.  Also, the largest and most ornate hand press I’ve ever seen.

The next morning, I stopped off at Genesee Center for the Arts, a non profit facility that offers printing, paper making, pottery, and photography – the 4 Ps.  This is a beautiful space, and I had a great time chatting with Mitch, Geri, and Joe about their mission and general printing geekery.  And THEN I stopped by Dock 2 Letterpress, up in Webster, NY, about 15 minutes NE of Rochester.  These guys have one of the biggest print shops I’ve ever seen, stocked full of years worth of collected equipment and type.  Tony Zanni and Dave Eckler have been printing for ages – Dave’s been at it since he was 14 or so.  Below, a specimen of the first thing he ever printed.  I love that he still has it, displayed on the wall of the shop alongside all the current work they’re most proud of.  Nice.