The idea for an exhibition of Island Press works at the Gallery of Art emerged from my awakening to the quality of the press’ production, as well as the fact that the Gallery of Art had served as a repository of works of art produced by the Press for over two decades. In keeping with the collaborative nature of Island Press, the exhibition project would be developed through the combined resources of Washington University students, the faculty of the Printmaking Department, and the staffs of Island Press and the Gallery of Art. A semester-long undergraduate seminar, led by the Island Press Master Printer, Maryanne Ellison Simmons, and myself was held in the fall of 1999. The students in this seminar, noted in the Credits, developed and installed the exhibition, Island Press: Innovation at Washington University, which opened at the Gallery of Art in spring of 2000. The exhibition attracted a large number of visitors and was featured in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Chronicle of Higher Education. The successful exhibition in turn led to a graduate student seminar, the purpose of which was to begin the research and planning for a documented history of Island Press. The resulting interview transcripts and records gathered by these students, also recognized in the Credits, served as the foundation for this Island Press website.

Dr. Mark Weil
E. Desmond Lee Professor for Collaboration in the Arts
Director, Washington University Sam Fox Arts Center
Director, Washington University Gallery of Art

To learn more about Island Press please see "A Printer's Overview" by Maryanne Ellison Simmons and Monica Friel.

Please see our Credits page