Letterpress in Protest
On Saturday, May 30, 2020 as members of the WNY community protested the murder of George Floyd and many others as a direct result of racial injustices within our nation’s police force, one of our Mohawk Street windows had been damaged during this expression of collective action.
We are so grateful for the outpouring of support from so many members of our community who have called, sent messages, and stopped by to lend a hand. The Book Arts Team are all safe and sound, and thankfully one layer of our triple pane glass protected the original artwork in our gallery – so all that was lost can be replaced. We are taking time to reflect, as the history of printmaking is deeply entangled with the history of protest, and we carry that knowledge with us always as stewards of this historic craft. We stand proud to serve the vibrant and diverse communities of Western New York.
After support and donations from our community members and friends poured in, it is hard to find the words to express just how deeply loved we have felt by our community over the last couple of days. To all who have donated to support our repairs we are so, so grateful for your contributions – any funds raised beyond the needs of our repairs will directly support our staff during our ongoing COVID-19 closure. We thank you so much.
This is a time for us to stand together and keep going.
To keep hoping. And to keep pressing on. <3
“Posters are powerful because they have no barrier of entry, which is why they produce such memorable images; their howls of protest reminding us that, even in today’s screen-obsessed culture, when you want your voice to be heard, there’s nothing quite like ink on paper.”
