Collaboration with printmaker, Amos Paul Kennedy Jr.

Stephanie Trotto and Conall Mannion 

Melanie Mowinski 

Riso Letterpress Interns 

From left to right: Melanie Mowinski, Amos Paul Kennedy Jr., Stephanie Trotto, and Conall Mannion.

Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. spent just three short days on MCLA’s campus, but during that time hundreds of prints were made, a dozen students operated a press for the first time, and countless fragments of priceless knowledge and information were shared. Kennedy’s visit to North Adams was prompted by an event for his new book Citizen Printer, at MASS MoCA’s Research and Development store, where he held a book signing and conversation with MCLA’s Professor of Art, Melanie Mowinski. Luckily his visit coincided with MCLA’s annually occurring Day of Dialogue, the theme of which this year was the concept of Erasure: culturally, historically, and racially.  

Kennedy came from Detroit, Michigan, where his own print shop and studio, Kennedy Prints, is based. His time began here with an open session at the PRESS Room in Bowman Hall. From the very first moment Mowinski's interns, Conall and Stephanie, met Kennedy, they were working side by side with him, creating posters in collaboration with the various community members, printmakers, faculty, staff, and representatives of both MASS MoCA and Assets for Artists who had come to meet and work with Kennedy.  

Before Kennedy’s visit to MCLA, Conall and Stephanie assisted in the installation of Kennedy’s prints in the Bowman Hall Gallery Space. There, they carefully placed dozens of prints across the span of several walls, trying to capture his work in the most authentic way possible. Additionally, they wrote the PR statement for the events that Kennedy was participating in, as well as an artist bio to include in the gallery. This work instilled immense anticipation for Kennedy to arrive at MCLA and begin working with students.  

Display of Kennedy’s work in Bowman Hall

For Day of Dialogue, Kennedy and Mowinski held an open session in the morning, and later again that afternoon. The morning session was conversational, an open dialogue between Kennedy and the audience where themes such as racial, cultural and political erasure were discussed. Later that day students, faculty, and staff were invited to print alongside Kennedy to create Day of Dialogue posters. Thanks to Kennedy’s encouragement and quick work ethic, within a few short hours a group of fifteen or so attendees had created four sets of unique, hand-printed posters.  

Day of Dialogue posters made by MCLA students and Amos Paul Kennedy Jr.

All in all, Kennedy’s time on campus was a whirl winded masterclass introduction to the world of letterpress printing for Conall and Stephanie. Working alongside a renowned printmaker who was not afraid to challenge their abilities and push them to their limit was just the right push they needed to delve even deeper into the printmaking practice. Travelling with Kennedy and Mowinski to local printmaking legend Jim Walczak’s house, they saw a real master at work: casting metal type, building DIY additions to presses, and nearly fifty years of hand-made Christmas cards. As the week progressed, Conall and Stephanie were able to go from learning from Amos, to guiding other students through the printing process, a feat made possible by the open-spirited encouragement of both Kennedy and Mowinski.