Jean Gillingwators of Blackbird Press gave an artist talk to start things off and shared selections from her decades of beautiful work in letterpress. Over 100 people attended on Saturday, some traveling from as far away as Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. The pieces paired visual art with many well-known contemporary poets, including B.H. Fairchild, Maurya Simon, and former U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera. In addition to the broadsides hanging, Jean shared some of the tools of the trade and explained how painstakingly and lovingly she puts the letterpress broadsides together. The event was hosted and well-promoted by the Wrightwood Friends of the Library.
