Please Feed The Robot

Consider helping out my good friend & ever-awesome one-man publishing machine aka Peptic Robot Press!

Dear artists, friends, friendly artists, artist friends and friends of artists.

Hi. How are you? I am well thank you very much. I hope the New Year is treating you super. I’m currently in a hospital waiting for my nephew to be born. 32 minutes until 2011. (addendum. He was born at 11:00 pm… I just didn’t know it.)

So I wanted to talk to you about something. I hope you’ll consider it. As some of you know, and for those who don’t, I am currently the Visiting Asst. Professor in Book Arts and Printmaking at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. It’s a swell place with some pretty topnotch artists running the Department. I was brought in after Kat Anderson petitioned and succeeded in getting a Book Arts Major established. (Super Kudos to that fight!) For the past year and a half I have been working on developing the Program into something to be proud of and worthy of what she envisioned. It’s slowly happening. The presses are all up and running (3 letterpress, 2 litho, 2 etching, screenprinting and non-toxic capabilities) we have a great studio tech – Alison Filley – straight outta Iowa City who has added essential skills to this 7 room space and we have a new curriculum getting ready to pop out.

“That’s great!” you may say, “good job.”

Thanks, but here is the juicy part. We’re pushing farther. We’re bringing back a letterpress imprint – The Black Cat Press – that will start producing broadsides and artist’s books and collaborations with other St. Ambrose departments (starting this winter with “Mazy Mind” an all-letterpress nonfiction lit journal of student work), local and regional art organizations and visiting artists.

“Hey man, that’s alright.”

We’re also developing the space into a community center through St. Ambrose University called “The St. Ambrose Book and Print League” or the SABPL for short (copyright pending) Through this community center we hope to do the basic stuff: provide cheap classes, studio time, community outreach, lectures, presentations and general making of things along with innovative and creative things…that I haven’t thought of yet.

“Ok, that’s a lot of info” you may be starting to think as you check to see what time it is and if you wish to continue reading.

Get to the point Joseph.

The point. I’m trying to raise some money for the B&P League by providing an Open House in the Shop on February 12th (possibly the 26th). This Open House is mainly geared at introducing the community to the idea of the Shop and trying to raise its public awareness as well as the public awareness of the Program itself. This includes a student at every press printing take-away art, a public presentation, a new subscription series of “Baby Broadsides” by great writers and poets (Jami Attenberg, Aaron Burch, Natalie Edwards, Farrah Field, Sarah Gardner, Carl Herzig, Steven Karl, Jonathan Messinger, Audrey Niffenegger, Owen Rogel, and Kevin Sampsell), music, food and a silent auction.

Ahhhh…. So this is it. This is what I am requesting. I am asking you and anyone you can think of who may be supportive of this idea to donate a small work (preferably book, print or paper related, but not required) for the Silent Auction to raise money for the St. Ambrose Book and Print League.

The money raised from the auction will be used for:

Development of a functional bindery
Expansion of supplies and equipment for letterpress and basic print
Creation of a space and supplies for papermaking
Promotional material
Payment for Visiting Artists or Instructors

There are very few rules.

Rule #1: I would need the piece of art shipped by February 4th.
Rule #2: It would be shipped to St Ambrose University, attn: Joseph Lappie, 518 W.
Locust St. Davenport, Ia 52803
Rule #3: Confirmation of interest as soon as possible at
pepticrobot@pepticrobotpress.com
Rule #4: A price point you’d like to start at (if desired)
Rule #5: Any questions or concerns please ask.

In return for your charity I will make everyone who participates a small editioned Artist’s Book for their trouble. It’s not much, but a token of appreciation.

Thank you for slogging through this chunk of text. Thank you for thinking about participating even if it is something you choose not to do. Have a good day and a good year.

Until then,

Joseph the Lappie

pepticrobot@pepticrobotpress.com
www.pepticrobotpress.com
www.thebakerygallery.blogspot.com