JENNA RODRIGUEZ

After completing my 2nd year at Columbia College my best friend and I traveled abroad for five weeks.  We began our journey in Bogotá, Colombia and bused our way through Ecuador and Peru.  I stumbled upon numerous letterpress, lithography, and off-set presses.  I even found a man in Colombia binding his own books as a street vendor.  My absolute favorite experience was in Lima, Peru.  I was heading to a plaza and turned down a random street which had a familiar smell but I could not figure out what it was until my eyes spied an off-set printing press.    Before I knew it I was walking down a printers heaven.  I found a printers row!!!!  There was shop after shop of off-set presses and letterpress shops.  Men were carrying stacks and stacks of paper and scraps of papers laid on the floors in piles from the trimmings of the guillotines.  Check out the photos.

This man was incredibly nice and taught me how he made his books.  Cartagena, Colombia had the most book stores and street book vendors I have ever seen.  It was fascinating.  This guy was located on a street that had one outdoor book vendor after another.  It looked like it was an outdoor library and every vendor tries to persuade you to buy their books as you walk by.

The last three pictures are from the “Printers Row” in Lima, Peru.

The time has come again!  The Wayzgoose conference is this weekend at the Hamilton Woodtype Museum.  Stay tuned for an update of all the excitement that took place.  Yay woodtype!  Here is a picture from last year.

The outside of the Museum!

Tonight is the opening reception for the friends of Transit print show!!  The exhibit focus’s on the love of travel through printmedia.  I have two pieces in the show!  There are many other talented artists in the show come check it out!  The show will be up until October 31st.  I have attached an image of the Information!  Hope to see you tonight! Woohoo

I have been a little lazy with my posts but I am back to the grind of grad school.  I am entering my second year at Columbia College Chicago in the Interdisciplinary Book and Paper program. I am very honored not only to be a part of the grad program but I am also teaching a letterpress undergraduate class this year.  Teaching undergrads is one of my ultimate professionals goals and it feels extremely satisfying and exciting.  Woohooooo!

I was also picked to be the print production fellow for this entire school year at Columbia.  I am working closely with Brad Freeman who publishes JAB (Journals Artists Books) through offset printing.  So far it is super amazing!!! I will post pictures and updates. So keep your eye out!  That’s it for now… back to school work.

In one week I will have one year of grad school complete! I am so excited, two more years to go and I will be finish!  My first year has been like a roller coaster for the good and bad.  I have definitely realized the direction I am going with my work and hope to build a strong body of work over the next two years.  I have a completely different mindset from when I started the program for the better and hopefully this will continue to grow! Yay grad school!!!!