Carved & Crafted: The Art of Letterpress

The exhibition Carved & Crafted: The Art of Letterpress explores the centuries-old printing process through the work of artist Jim Sherraden, artist and musician Jon Langford, and Hatch Show print, a renowned Nashville-based letterpress atelier. Including a selection of original and historic Hatch poster restrikes, early prints by Sherraden, and current collaborative work by the latter and Langford, viewers will gain an appreciation for the handmade. Letterpress and woodblock printing is rooted in tradition, craftsmanship, and legacy—much of which is slowly disappearing from contemporary printmaking practices as industrial and digital technologies replace apprenticeship, handwork, and practice. Sherraden and Langford, along with Celene Aubrey, the longtime manager of Hatch Show Print, and the many shop designers and printers who have trained there, are preserving the legacy of these centuries-old processes and a historic American advertising press.