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Parsons School of Design letterpress student work collection

 Collection
Identifier: PC-02-11-01

Summary

Five individual artists' books and three group projects created by students in artist Roni Gross's Parsons School of Design letterpress courses.

Dates

  • 2015-2019

Creator

Extent

0.4 Cubic Feet (1 box, 1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Scope and Content of Collection

Books and broadsides in this student work collection were produced by undergraduate students enrolled in printmaking courses taught by Roni Gross. Although situated within Parsons School of Design's School of Art, Media & Technology, these small seminar classes were open to all New School university undergraduates regardless of major. Most students are second year, third year and fourth year students, with the majority majoring in Communication Design, although the School of Constructed Environments's Product Design program, the School of Strategic Design and Management, Eugene Lang College's Journalism and Design program, and the Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer are represented, as is the AAS (associate's [degree] in applied science) Graphic Design program.

Students handprinted their final projects using a metal type letter press, available in the university's print workshop, located on the first floor of 68 Fifth Avenue. The exception is a set of broadsides printed at the Center for Book Arts.

Professor Gross gave the students in her classes the option to donate their work to The New School Archives. With an average class size of twelve, most students opted not to do so, with the exception of class projects, such as Seven Directions Plus One.

The 2019 course description for "Artist's Books: Letterpress (Section B)" is as follows:

In this Printmaking course, students interested in design, fine arts and creative writing will learn the basics of letterpress printing using lead and wood type. The course will focus on setting type, visual design on the press, printing on the Vandercook Proofing Press, and developing a thorough knowledge of letterpress through experimentation and practice. Students will work in groups to respond to three visual design challenges over the course of the semester. For the final project, each student will create and execute a printed work that builds on the skills and ideas developed in class.

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research use. Please contact archivist@newschool.edu for appointment.

Use Restrictions

In accordance with The New School's Intellectual Property Rights Policy, copyright is held by each work's respective author. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the user.

Biographical Note

Letterpress course instructor Roni Gross is a book artist and a part-time faculty member at Parsons School of Design, a division of The New School. She began teaching at The New School in 1999. She also teaches, curates, and exhibits at the Center for Book Arts in New York City, where she first encountered letterpress printing techniques. Her own artwork is included in numerous museum and library collections throughout the United States and England, including the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library. She earned a BA from the State University of New York, Binghampton in 1977 and an MA from Columbia University's Teachers College in 1985.

Sources

https://ronigross.com/home.html

Center for Book Arts. "Friday Insights: Artist Interview with Roni Gross." Retrieved May 17, 2019 from https://centerforbookarts.org/friday-insights-artist-interview-with-roni-gross/

Organization and Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Each item donated to The New School Archives at the conclusion of the semester in which it was created.

Related Materials

Letterpress student work spanning 2005-2010 that was part of a retrospective exhibition will be found in Parsons School of Design academic departments, programs and schools (PC.02.01.02).

Title
Guide to the Parsons School of Design letterpress student work collection
Status
Completed
Author
New School Archives and Special Collections Staff
Date
December 11, 2020
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin