Recent Press
Artist readies antique press for new prints
In a world of virtual typesetting, ink-jet printers and computer graphics programs that allow limitless variety, Mike Mullen takes a slower, hands-on approach to his printing.
“I get results that I could never imagine,” said Mullen, a printmaker, art instructor and musician, of old-fashioned relief printmaking. “The process really takes over and takes you places where you'd never get on your own.”
Mullen, who lives in Northville Township, recently bought a 121-year-old, pedal-powered platen press that he's in the process of restoring. For its post-restoration debut — and its first printing job in about 30 years — he is planning a limited-edition linocut print that is to be the centerpiece of an arts fundraiser in Plymouth next month.
Mullen will donate 100 copies of the print, Endless Possibilities, to the Plymouth Community Arts Council, which has a two-day fundraiser — also called Endless Possibilities — planned for Friday, April 27, and Saturday, April 28. Prints number one through five will be auctioned off through the PCAC (bids will be accepted beginning Friday, March 30), and prints six through 100 will be available during the fundraiser for $100 each. The press itself, which weighs about 1,100 pounds, will be displayed at the PCAC that weekend.
Musical guests
Mullen will also be performing with his folk group, the Pairadocs Trio, at the PCAC on April 27 to help kick off the fundraiser, which will feature several other musical acts the next evening. Mullen, who plays guitar, is president of the BaseLine Folk Society, which gathers at the PCAC, September through May, for coffeehouse-style folk concerts.
According to Jeff Burda, executive director of the PCAC, Endless Possibilities will depict a child holding something undefined — a pencil? a paintbrush? a conductor's baton? — and poised to create art, symbolizing the possibilities of the work's title. The theme, Burda said, is tied to the PCAC's wide reach in the community and its array of arts programs, which include exhibits, workshops and classes in art, theater and music, summer arts camps for children, and concerts. Burda teaches part time at an area high school and is a PCAC pottery instructor.
Mullen says he has the print's design sketched out and plans to carve it into linoleum — from whence the word linocut — for his press. The carving will be a mirror image of the finished print; Mullen said part of the challenge of that style of printmaking is that it forces him to think in reverse.
“You ink the surface and whatever's left on the block takes the ink,” he said.
Press ‘revolutionized' trade
Mullen is thrilled with his antique press, an 1891 model “jobber” press built by Chandler & Price of Cleveland. He bought it from a man in Westland who kept it in his basement but hadn't used it in decades. The man had bought it as a 14-year-old and had used it for small jobs to earn some cash.
“Most kids at that time had a paper route. He had a printing press,” Mullen said.
The “jobber,” with a maximum printing area of 8 by 12 inches, could accommodate smaller-sized projects, such as business cards and stationary, in a more cost-effective way than other presses of its time, Mullen said. “This particular style of press revolutionized the printing industry,” he said.
Mullen began cleaning up the Chandler & Price, one thing led to another and pretty soon it was being completely restored, he said. He hopes to have the project finished in early April.
“That's typical when you get into a project. You think it's going to be a week or two, and now it's been three months,” he said.
Foot power
The former owner had a motor mounted on the press to power it, Mullen said, but he didn't want that, preferring to use the original foot treadle instead. That'll give him more precise control over the process, he said.
Once Mullen has the linoleum carved, the printing itself should only take a couple of hours, he said. And once finished, according to Burda, the carving will be destroyed, leaving the prints as the only ones of their kind.
“You can only get it here,” Burda said.
The PCAC will also receive an artist's proof of the print to hang on the walls of its headquarters in Plymouth.
Mullen, who also made a limited-run print for a recent Northville District Library fundraiser, said he's glad to be able to help out. The PCAC has worked out well as a headquarters for BaseLine, which is in its third season there, and he wants to give back, Mullen said.
“That organization has bent over backwards for us and welcomed us with open arms,” Mullen said.
mjachman@hometownlife.com (313) 222-2405
From Observer & Eccentric, March 18, 2012.
http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20120318/NEWS15/203180420/Artist-readies-antique-press-new-prints?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Plymouth|p
“I get results that I could never imagine,” said Mullen, a printmaker, art instructor and musician, of old-fashioned relief printmaking. “The process really takes over and takes you places where you'd never get on your own.”
Mullen, who lives in Northville Township, recently bought a 121-year-old, pedal-powered platen press that he's in the process of restoring. For its post-restoration debut — and its first printing job in about 30 years — he is planning a limited-edition linocut print that is to be the centerpiece of an arts fundraiser in Plymouth next month.
Mullen will donate 100 copies of the print, Endless Possibilities, to the Plymouth Community Arts Council, which has a two-day fundraiser — also called Endless Possibilities — planned for Friday, April 27, and Saturday, April 28. Prints number one through five will be auctioned off through the PCAC (bids will be accepted beginning Friday, March 30), and prints six through 100 will be available during the fundraiser for $100 each. The press itself, which weighs about 1,100 pounds, will be displayed at the PCAC that weekend.
Musical guests
Mullen will also be performing with his folk group, the Pairadocs Trio, at the PCAC on April 27 to help kick off the fundraiser, which will feature several other musical acts the next evening. Mullen, who plays guitar, is president of the BaseLine Folk Society, which gathers at the PCAC, September through May, for coffeehouse-style folk concerts.
According to Jeff Burda, executive director of the PCAC, Endless Possibilities will depict a child holding something undefined — a pencil? a paintbrush? a conductor's baton? — and poised to create art, symbolizing the possibilities of the work's title. The theme, Burda said, is tied to the PCAC's wide reach in the community and its array of arts programs, which include exhibits, workshops and classes in art, theater and music, summer arts camps for children, and concerts. Burda teaches part time at an area high school and is a PCAC pottery instructor.
Mullen says he has the print's design sketched out and plans to carve it into linoleum — from whence the word linocut — for his press. The carving will be a mirror image of the finished print; Mullen said part of the challenge of that style of printmaking is that it forces him to think in reverse.
“You ink the surface and whatever's left on the block takes the ink,” he said.
Press ‘revolutionized' trade
Mullen is thrilled with his antique press, an 1891 model “jobber” press built by Chandler & Price of Cleveland. He bought it from a man in Westland who kept it in his basement but hadn't used it in decades. The man had bought it as a 14-year-old and had used it for small jobs to earn some cash.
“Most kids at that time had a paper route. He had a printing press,” Mullen said.
The “jobber,” with a maximum printing area of 8 by 12 inches, could accommodate smaller-sized projects, such as business cards and stationary, in a more cost-effective way than other presses of its time, Mullen said. “This particular style of press revolutionized the printing industry,” he said.
Mullen began cleaning up the Chandler & Price, one thing led to another and pretty soon it was being completely restored, he said. He hopes to have the project finished in early April.
“That's typical when you get into a project. You think it's going to be a week or two, and now it's been three months,” he said.
Foot power
The former owner had a motor mounted on the press to power it, Mullen said, but he didn't want that, preferring to use the original foot treadle instead. That'll give him more precise control over the process, he said.
Once Mullen has the linoleum carved, the printing itself should only take a couple of hours, he said. And once finished, according to Burda, the carving will be destroyed, leaving the prints as the only ones of their kind.
“You can only get it here,” Burda said.
The PCAC will also receive an artist's proof of the print to hang on the walls of its headquarters in Plymouth.
Mullen, who also made a limited-run print for a recent Northville District Library fundraiser, said he's glad to be able to help out. The PCAC has worked out well as a headquarters for BaseLine, which is in its third season there, and he wants to give back, Mullen said.
“That organization has bent over backwards for us and welcomed us with open arms,” Mullen said.
mjachman@hometownlife.com (313) 222-2405
From Observer & Eccentric, March 18, 2012.
http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20120318/NEWS15/203180420/Artist-readies-antique-press-new-prints?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Plymouth|p
Uptown players hold auditions for new season
"The Plymouth Community Arts Council is looking forward to another successful children's theater season with director Katelyn Sigworth and assistants Cara Bosco and Kimmy Elliot.
Now all they need are actors.
Drop-in auditions for the Plymouth Uptown Players will be held at the PCAC (774 N. Sheldon Road, Plymouth) on Thursday, Sept. 8, from 5-9 p.m. Once your child has auditioned they are free to leave. Everyone who auditions will get a part.
The main goal of the PUPS program, PCAC officials point out, is to “make the participants feel comfortable and confident” in front of a live audience. Children will learn stage direction, cues, blocking, voice projection, role play, characterization and improvisation. As always, young people who join PUPS can expect to participate in games and exercises that will stimulate their inner performer.
Rehearsals are every Sunday beginning Sept. 11, with the times dependent on age and cast. The season will conclude with a weekend of performances Dec. 9-11.
For more information about this program visit the PCAC website (www.plymoutharts.com) or call (734) 416-4278."
From Observer & Eccentric, September 1, 2011.
http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011109010601
Now all they need are actors.
Drop-in auditions for the Plymouth Uptown Players will be held at the PCAC (774 N. Sheldon Road, Plymouth) on Thursday, Sept. 8, from 5-9 p.m. Once your child has auditioned they are free to leave. Everyone who auditions will get a part.
The main goal of the PUPS program, PCAC officials point out, is to “make the participants feel comfortable and confident” in front of a live audience. Children will learn stage direction, cues, blocking, voice projection, role play, characterization and improvisation. As always, young people who join PUPS can expect to participate in games and exercises that will stimulate their inner performer.
Rehearsals are every Sunday beginning Sept. 11, with the times dependent on age and cast. The season will conclude with a weekend of performances Dec. 9-11.
For more information about this program visit the PCAC website (www.plymoutharts.com) or call (734) 416-4278."
From Observer & Eccentric, September 1, 2011.
http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011109010601
Everyone will earn a role at auditions
"Drop in auditions for the Plymouth Uptown Players (PUPS) will be held 5-9 p.m., Thursday, Sept., 8, at the Plymouth Community Arts Council, 774 N. Sheldon Road, Plymouth. Katelyn Sigworth directs PUPS, with help from assistants Cara Bosco and Kimmy Elliot.
The PUPS program, designed for students in middle school and elementary school, aims to make the participants feel comfortable and confident in front of a live audience. Children will learn stage direction, cues, blocking, voice projection, role play, characterization and improvisation. Youngsters who join PUPS can expect to participate in games and exercises that will stimulate their inner performer.
Everyone who auditions will get a part. Rehearsals are every Sunday beginning Sept. 11, with the times dependent on age and cast.
The season will conclude with a weekend of performances Dec. 9-11 at the Plymouth Community Arts Council.
Visit the PCAC Web site at www.plymoutharts.com, or call (734) 416-4278."
From Observer & Eccentric, September 1, 2011.
http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011109010490
The PUPS program, designed for students in middle school and elementary school, aims to make the participants feel comfortable and confident in front of a live audience. Children will learn stage direction, cues, blocking, voice projection, role play, characterization and improvisation. Youngsters who join PUPS can expect to participate in games and exercises that will stimulate their inner performer.
Everyone who auditions will get a part. Rehearsals are every Sunday beginning Sept. 11, with the times dependent on age and cast.
The season will conclude with a weekend of performances Dec. 9-11 at the Plymouth Community Arts Council.
Visit the PCAC Web site at www.plymoutharts.com, or call (734) 416-4278."
From Observer & Eccentric, September 1, 2011.
http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011109010490
Music dies down after a successful season
Beverly Meyer, “The Music Lady,” closed out the 27th annual Music in the Park series last week. The series is hosted by the Plymouth Community Arts Council, with The Wilcox Foundation as the major sponsor. / Bill Bresler | staff photographer
"By Brad Kadrich
Observer Staff Writer
It started back in June with the opening-day appearance by Josh White Jr. It included a pair of performances from perennial crowd favorite Guy Louis & Chautauqua Express.
And it ended last week with Beverly Meyer, “The Music Lady.”
And through the two-month schedule, the Plymouth Community Arts Council's 27th annual “Music in the Park” concert series entertained thousands of children and their families adorning the grass of downtown Plymouth's Kellogg Park.
“It's a simple formula ... a place where people can gather and hear good music,” said Deb Madonna, who organizes the concerts every year. “Musicians love the reception they get and are eager to come back. Having a park like Kellogg Park in the middle of town provides a place where people love to gather.”
Madonna estimates the concerts draw as many as 25,000 people a year over the three-month schedule. And, while the concerts are geared toward children, the age range of the audience always tickles Madonna.
“The wide range of audience members makes you smile,” she said. “You get young babies, families, day care groups, senior citizens. What other program can you think of has that wide of a range in ages?”
Despite all of those attributes, Madonna knows the series would be tough to present without the sponsors. Once again, The Wilcox Foundation was the series' major sponsor. Other sponsors include Huron Valley Ambulance, Monroe Bank & Trust, Rotary Club of Plymouth A.M., the Miracle League of Plymouth, The Cupcake Station, Genuine Toy, Plymouth-Canton Montessori School, Chair-iot of Canton, Kilwin's and Kona Ice.
“What amazes me is that, even though we have experienced very tough times and Michigan's economy has been very hard hit, business owners and individuals kindly pitched in to provide this program for our community,” Madonna said.
bkadrich@hometownlife.com (313) 222-8899"
From Observer & Eccentric, September 1, 2011.
http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F201109010650%2FNEWS15%2F109010596
Observer Staff Writer
It started back in June with the opening-day appearance by Josh White Jr. It included a pair of performances from perennial crowd favorite Guy Louis & Chautauqua Express.
And it ended last week with Beverly Meyer, “The Music Lady.”
And through the two-month schedule, the Plymouth Community Arts Council's 27th annual “Music in the Park” concert series entertained thousands of children and their families adorning the grass of downtown Plymouth's Kellogg Park.
“It's a simple formula ... a place where people can gather and hear good music,” said Deb Madonna, who organizes the concerts every year. “Musicians love the reception they get and are eager to come back. Having a park like Kellogg Park in the middle of town provides a place where people love to gather.”
Madonna estimates the concerts draw as many as 25,000 people a year over the three-month schedule. And, while the concerts are geared toward children, the age range of the audience always tickles Madonna.
“The wide range of audience members makes you smile,” she said. “You get young babies, families, day care groups, senior citizens. What other program can you think of has that wide of a range in ages?”
Despite all of those attributes, Madonna knows the series would be tough to present without the sponsors. Once again, The Wilcox Foundation was the series' major sponsor. Other sponsors include Huron Valley Ambulance, Monroe Bank & Trust, Rotary Club of Plymouth A.M., the Miracle League of Plymouth, The Cupcake Station, Genuine Toy, Plymouth-Canton Montessori School, Chair-iot of Canton, Kilwin's and Kona Ice.
“What amazes me is that, even though we have experienced very tough times and Michigan's economy has been very hard hit, business owners and individuals kindly pitched in to provide this program for our community,” Madonna said.
bkadrich@hometownlife.com (313) 222-8899"
From Observer & Eccentric, September 1, 2011.
http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F201109010650%2FNEWS15%2F109010596
