Pressing On

Printmaker and photographer Mika Fowler’s 2,400-pound Vandercook 219 printing press has a new home: The Letterpress Studio on the grounds of LeMoyne Arts, now offering workshops for the public. 

As soon as you walk inside the light-filled studio, the aroma of ink and oil takes you back in time to the days when the letterpress ruled the world of printmaking. Cabinets line the wall with dozens of cases containing typeface letters ranging in size from less than an inch to more than a foot high. Tucked inside the cases are also “cuts”—designs ranging from generic nature pictures to historical images, including one of the Hotel Duval. 

Fowler has been curating his collection of typefaces and cuts for years, some of which come from as early as the nineteenth century. Fowler says that as technology advanced, visual artists realized an opportunity to use the machines to create their art. 

Several of Fowler’s framed prints hang on the wall. Recently, he demonstrated how he creates the art using hand-set, vintage metal and wood type to print the image on the 1947 press, which he cranks by hand. 

Photo courtesy of Mika Fowler

“Putting ink on paper is very satisfying,” he says. “Every new print is another chance for redemption. Each one can get better and better.” 

For 17 years, Fowler’s studio was located in Railroad Square. In 2020, he moved to a private studio in a rented garage in the Levy Park neighborhood where he created print art. Wherever he goes, though, admirers find Fowler’s work. Penelope Yocum took one of his workshops three years ago and became so intrigued with the process that she signed on to be one of his interns. 

“I love printing, and I also love books. Since books are made on printing presses, the two things go together well,” she said. 

When the opportunity arrived for Fowler to give his presses and cases to LeMoyne Arts,  he was  thrilled to have found a home where others can learn to appreciate the art of the letterpress. 

Photo courtesy of Mika Fowler

He also believes that working within the community will be rewarding. “These days I prefer to sing with the choir rather than be a soloist,” he  said. 

LeMoyne is making the most of the opportunity. The goal is for burgeoning printmakers to have a place where they can learn to use the equipment to make their own art. Monthly workshops take place on the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $85 for LeMoyne Arts Members and $95 for non-members and includes supplies.

“As more people become trained on the equipment, we plan to make studio hours and staff available so that people can come in and work on their own,” said Kylie Nerney, education director for LeMoyne Arts. 

LeMoyne Arts, 125 North Gadsden Street, has a total of
10 educational studio spaces, including a handful of specialized studios for ceramics, stained glass, and of course, letterpress. The campus also includes nine leased studios for local artists.