Island Press - Contemporary Print Editions and Artist Projects

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Island Press - Contemporary Print Editions and Artist Projects

Collaborative Print Workshop and Publisher Founded in 1978, Island Press is a research-based printmaking workshop at Washington University in St.

Louis that is committed to creating and publishing innovative prints and multiples, educating students and the broader community about print media, and advancing the printmaking field. In the context of intensive visiting artist residencies, Island Press explores the expansive theoretical and material terrain of the print. The Press is project-driven, tapping into the place where the artist's crea

tive activity and research intersect with the philosophical underpinnings of printmaking. Experimentation with new modes and technologies is a natural part of this pursuit, resulting in the creation of innovative and ambitious editions in a wide range of media. Fostering the creative relationships of the printmaking workshop is central to the Island Press mission. Visiting artists work in collaboration with the master printer, faculty, and students to create a reciprocal environment for education and research. Artists reap the benefits of numerous dedicated, energetic student assistants to help push to new levels of complexity and originality in their projects. At the same time, undergraduate and graduate students taking part in the development of artistic ideas gain access and insight into both the technical and conceptual challenges that make each artist’s project unique.

05/03/2026

ISLAND PRESS OPEN HOUSE, MAY 12, 3-5PM.

Join us for a public viewing of “Printing Black America: Du Bois’s Data Portraits in the 21st Century.”

Island Press in the Sam Fox School and partners at five other printmaking workshops nationwide have recently released “Printing Black America.” Created by artist William Villalongo and data scientist Shraddha Ramani, the portfolio is a reimagining of W.E.B. Du Bois’s “Data Portraits” informed by contemporary data and local research. Villalongo and Ramani collaborated with Island Press and conducted research in St. Louis during the 2023-24 academic year as Arthur and Sheila Prensky Visiting Artists.

Du Bois originally created his “Data Portraits” as a series of infographics on the progress of Black Americans after Emancipation to be displayed at the 1900 Paris Exposition. Villalongo and Ramani’s reimagined prints were aided by research into official records including the 2020 U.S. census; projects by Black scholars, social scientists, and activists; as well as hyper-local testimonies, data, and archives. The images were created through various printmaking techniques including silkscreen, etching, lithography and archival inkjet.

“Printing Black America” includes 30 prints, divided into six thematic portfolios, including the portfolio, Employment, published by Island Press in collaboration with the artists and supported by the research of local scholars and social scientists. All 30 prints plus portfolio front pages will be on view at the open house on May 12th.

Printmaking partners and portfolio themes include: USF Graphicstudio, Tampa, Fla. (Portfolio One: First Impressions); Powerhouse Arts, Brooklyn, Ny. (Portfolio Two: Populations); Highpoint Editions, Minneapolis, Minn. (Portfolio Four: Ownership); Mullowney Printing Company, Portland, Ore. (Portfolio Five: Education); and Paulson Fontaine Press, Berkeley, Calif. (Portfolio Six: Communities).

islandpress webdubois dataportraits graphicstudio paulsonfontainepress mullowneyprinting highpointeditions powerhouse_arts

03/07/2026

PRINTING BLACK AMERICA PUBLICATION RELEASE!!

Island Press and partners at five other printmaking workshops nationwide announce the release of “Printing Black America: Du Bois’s Data Portraits in the 21st Century.” Created by artist William Villalongo and data scientist Shraddha Ramani, the portfolio is a reimagining of W.E.B. Du Bois’s “Data Portraits” informed by contemporary data and local research.

“Printing Black America” includes 30 prints, divided into six thematic portfolios. The third portfolio in the project, “Employment,” was published at Island Press. It focuses on the Black workforce, providing insight into the dynamics that show how, when, and where Black people participated in the economy

01/26/2026

They weathered some epic political and meteorological storms in Minneapolis and St. Louis to sign their prints this weekend. Bravo and thanks to PBA & Co!

Publication release date is MARCH 7, 2026 for Printing Black America: Du Bois’s Data Portraits in the 21st Century!

01/07/2026

APPLY NOW!
Island Press offers summer internship opportunities in the month of June for students and artists interested in print collaboration and arts administration. Interns receive an honorarium to help offset living expenses and are immersed in the relaxed and collaborative atmosphere of the Island Press print shop. Deadline January 31, 2026.

Download the call for applications on our website - link in bio.

01/01/2026

Happy New Year! 2026, bring it on!

Image:
Jaune Quick-To-See Smith
Celebrate 40,000 Years of American Art, 1995
Collagraph
76 1/2 x 53 inches
Edition of 20
printed and published by Island Press

12/07/2025

T.L. Solien
Nurse (blue), 2005
Monoprint, sugarlift etching, collagraph, collage, handcoloring

“I have attempted to invent a personal and idiosyncratic visual language in which consideration of both the history of Abstraction, and the traditions of Figural Painting are of equal and essential concern. I stretch the boundaries of what has been considered viable source material from which to distill human narratives to include exploration into product iconography, vintage illustration, commercial animation and the drawings of children...” T.L. Solien

Born in Fargo, North Dakota in 1949, Solien earned a BFA from Moorhead State University, Moorhead Minnesota, and an MFA in Painting and Sculpture from the University of Nebraska. He is the recipient of many honors and awards including the Whitney Biennial Exhibition (1983), and the Joan Mitchell Foundation Fellowship in Painting (2008).
Solien’s work has been the subject of numerous exhibitions across the country and is included in public and private collections around the world.

12/03/2025

INK Miami Art Fair opens today! Visit Island Press at the Dorchester, 1850 Collins, Miami Beach, suite 158. Admission is FREE.

12/02/2025

Join us at the INK Miami Art Fair this week! Island Press will be among other exceptional exhibitors at the Suites of Dorchester, 1850 Collins Ave, Miami Beach in suite 158.

The INK Miami Art Fair is renowned for its emphasis on works on paper and is a distinctive satellite fair during Miami’s Art week. The fair is free and open to the public with an opening brunch on Wednesday, December 3rd from 9am-Noon and a Pulp Party on Thursday, December 4th from 7-9pm.

We’ll have new work and recent favorites by LJ Roberts, Mark Dion, Shaun O’Dell, Beverly Semmes, Paula Wilson, TL Solien, William Villalongo & Shraddha Ramani and more!

11/29/2025

While visiting the Sam Fox School in October 2025, Mark collaborated with Island Press to create two letterpress editions:

Image credit #1:
On Oligarchy, letterpress, 10 x 6 inches, white ink on Sirio Black Paper, edition of 30

Image credit #2:
On Oligarchy, letterpress, 10 x 6 inches, red ink on Neenah Blotter Paper, edition of 40

from “Oligarchy facts for kids”
An oligarchy is a type of government where a small group of people holds all the power. These people might be rich, famous, well-educated, or control important parts of society like businesses, religions, politics, or the military.

Throughout history, people have often seen oligarchies as unfair. They usually rely on people obeying them, or sometimes on forcing people to obey. The ancient Greek thinker Aristotle used the word “oligarchy” to mean “rule by the rich.”

11/22/2025

students had the incredible opportunity to work alongside visiting artist , who was raised in the Northwest Alaska community of Nome, as she brought her powerful vision to the printmaking studio. Together, they collaborated to create special “helper prints” using a fascinating technique: inking an actual boot (kamik) and making two prints from each impression—one positive, one negative.

The students worked on editions of these helper prints—Light Kamik in an edition of 29 and Dark Kamik in an edition of 21, totaling 50 prints. They learned a new process while contributing to the project, and each student will receive one of the signed prints as a keepsake from this extraordinary collaboration.

Moments like these are at the heart of Island Press’s mission: bringing together established artists, emerging printmakers, and our student community to push the boundaries of what’s possible in print media. Since 1978, we’ve been committed to innovation, education, and advancing the field—one print at a time.

Address

Sam Fox School Of Design And Visual Arts, Washington University
St. Louis, MO
63130

Website

https://samfoxschool.wustl.edu/island-press

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