Anchovy Press

During the spring semester, my illustration professor had our class attend an artist presentation of an artist who mentioned that she runs a small publishing press called Anchovy Press. I followed Anchovy Press’s page on Instagram that day and eventually when I was looking for internships, I reached out and luckily for me they were able to take me on.

That artist (and my supervisor) is the founder of Anchovy Press and runs it with their co-founder. In their words, Anchovy Press is “an independent publishing company based in Baltimore, Maryland, dedicated to storytelling that centers BIPOC experiences.” They publish children's books and family friendly zines. 

One product they offer is the Zine Subscription Box for children. I was tasked with creating the activity for one of these boxes. I created a paper doll which was in some way related to food. Throughout the internship, this grew into two paper doll projects which specifically focus on wild harvestables from Maryland. Inside one of the zines are my illustrations of the dolls which can be cut out and assembled, as well as several pages of instructions and information about the food. My supervisor and I worked together throughout the creation of the zines. She initially gave me a lot of freedom to come up with the concepts for dolls, and from there they supervised and directed me on how to revise, clarify, and develop the final products. 

I am proud that I was able to double the scope of the project, while still meeting deadlines. I am also happy with how complicated my idea was with it still being functional and clear. Working at Anchovy Press has broadened my scope of what book illustration and publishing can mean. It can include games, zines, and 3D art. I didn’t consider the versatility of children’s publications before this. 

Working with my supervisor felt like working with an art director and that was a very educational experience. I hope to be commissioned by art directors in the future so this was a helpful test run. Finally, the most helpful aspect of this internship was working directly with a professional illustrator and printmaker working in the sub-field, book illustration, that I would like to work in. It was very helpful to see how printmaking and illustration can be used in tandem within this field.

Globe Collection and Press at MICA

I have been interested in Globe since coming to MICA and I found out about their internship through a letterpress class that I took. My interest in Globe/letterpress is what pushed me to apply for the internship, as I was looking for a way to continue this enjoyment outside of class. Globe started out as a local letterpress shop and poster company, its collection (both posters and type) was bought by MICA in 2011 and has since been used to teach. On top of the collection being used in classes Globe still functions in the poster making world creating posters for different clients and events. 

My role at Globe was to help my supervisor with whatever projects needed to be done; whether it be designing/printing posters, packaging online orders, organizing the shop, or setting up for workshops. I have learned the steps for how Globe goes about creating posters, for any given poster we are working on I may help with the digital design work, setting the type, screen printing the backgrounds, or letterpress printing the text. I have gained so much useful knowledge and experience at this internship, in terms of both printmaking and career experience.

Finding a career has always been a point of anxiety for me, I worry that I won't be able to find jobs in my field. Having had this internship experience I feel a lot more secure in the thought of graduating and finding a career, I just feel generally more prepared. I’ve really enjoyed and appreciated my time interning at Globe, I truly don’t think I could have had a better experience.

IS Projects

This summer I was fortunate enough to attend an internship at IS Projects in Ft. Lauderdale FL. I discovered this internship opportunity through a printmaking faculty member. Upon figuring out logistics and transportation, I applied with a resume, cover letter, and 5 samples of my print work. The application was followed up by a phone interview during which Ingrid Schindall, MICA alumna and founder of the press, notified me of my admittance.

IS Projects is an ever-expanding printing press and shop that has much to offer for practicing artists and those who aspire to get involved with print media alike. Currently employed by IS Projects are Jess, Sammie and Melissa. Jess is the manager for Nocturnal Press, IS Projects’ in-house printing press. Nocturnal Press functions as a mainly commercial operation in which anyone can commission prints ranging from business cards, promotional material, to wedding invites and even commissioned pieces. Sammie is responsible for scouting and getting in touch with artist for visits and residencies at the studio, as well as for month-long exhibits in IS Projects’ gallery space. IS Projects also offers workshops that are open to the public such as block printing, etching, letterpress, screen printing, and other processes that are overseen by Sammie. Melissa’s is a hands on printing assistant that has an immense amount of printing experience, from traditional printing to screen printing and bookmaking.

I was involved in projects that span the scope of processes that IS Projects has to offer. My internship was initially kickstarted with a lesson in letterpress printing which I had never done before. The first project Ingrid set us up with was a pangram: a sentence or verse that contains all the letters of the alphabet. In this case, we were composing a poster as an ode to the late Jon Selikoff, who Ingrid had obtained much of the 100-year-old wood and lead type that makes up the bulk of her collection. The text block contained an early version of the chorus from “Take Me Out To the Ball Game” by Albert von Tilzer. The type we were using for the pangram was the font “Columbus” which is the font used for the Cracker Jack logo. Ingrid emphasized that for her, the research that goes into these projects was equally important as the print itself. 

Setting type was a toilsome yet rewarding process. Most of the handset type we were using was over 100 years old. Setting type of that age is quite tedious as different letters receive different wear, which fractionally varies the heights of each. This was particularly present with the lower-case vowels. In order to pull clean, consistent prints in which all of the letters print, much time is devoted to "makeready," the process of preparing the type for printing. This involves analyzing each individual letter and carefully adjusting the heights to flush. 

I also worked on a handful of artist books, assisting with binding, adhering additional elements such as pop ups, and curating the editions. The artist books showcased an array of binding styles including spiral bound, stab bound, glue binding and others. Along with learning letterpress using photopolymer, wood, and lead type, various binding styles I was able to engage with screen printing.

I was very thrilled that along with the exposure and experience gained through the internship, Ingrid encouraged interns to take on personal projects. Along with learning letterpress using photopolymer, wood, and lead type, various binding styles I was able to engage with screen printing once again! I decided to incorporate screen printing with bookmaking and have begun composing a four page panoramic accordion book.

My biggest takeaway from the experience was making the most of your resources, the significance of adequate planning, as well as networking with practices that overlap with your own. Probably the most valuable lesson was seeing how print can function in both a commercial and fine art setting when maximizing your materials and equipment. For example, the excess paper strips from prints are cut down and used to make business cards and monogram pads. Especially for artists beginning their own practice, it is an immensely useful to plan in order to maximize your materials and time management.

Having the opportunity to engage with homegrown press just a hop down the coast from my backyard was such a wonderful experience. Everyone at IS Projects was pleasant to work with and were open to making anything a teachable moment. I felt very welcome here and would definitely consider returning to see what projects and events they have in the works.

Newark Print Shop

My name is Sophie Fisher, I am a Senior Illustration major with a Book Arts concentration. This summer I had the amazing opportunity to intern with the Newark Print Shop, a grass roots non-profit printmaking studio based in Newark, NJ, a vibrant urban city close to Manhattan. Its facilities are open to an entire community of artists, and according to their mission statement, has “the focus on supporting the fine art of printmaking by providing an affordable and accessible workspace for everyone, as well educational programming through classes and workshops.”

As the summer approached and I was searching for internship opportunities, I recalled my connection to Lisa Conrad, the Executive Director and founder. She had previously worked as a teacher when I was a senior in high school. I attended Print Club back in 2015, a weekly Wednesday night gathering, where artists of all levels pay a small admission to access to the screen-printing facilities and equipment for the night. An internship would be the perfect opportunity for me to reconnect with the shop and to learn the screen-printing process. After reaching out with a letter of inquiry to Lisa, she quickly got back to me with enthusiasm, stating that the print shop would love to have me as an intern for the summer.

My experience at The Newark Print shop has been extremely impactful and rewarding. I was taken under the wing by the management and learned the fundamentals of the screen-printing process. I was thrown into the mix of the energetic, and fast paced environment of Print Club and not only had to learn as I went, but was expected to help aid and teach individuals of all ages coming to the shop who needed assistance, some of whom had never screen printed before. Throughout these experiences, I met a vibrant and extraordinary community of artists, whom I have been inspired by and have made lasting connections with. I also had the opportunity to apply my skills in design and pre-production as I worked on a project in collaboration with another artist, to reinvent the old city publication called The Newarker. We explored different ways of redefining it in a contemporary setting, which included accessing the Newark Public Library’s private collection of artist books and old letterpress type used for The Newarker as research.

Altogether this internship has provided the important skill of screen printing in my tool kit as an artist. I have gained an important connection with the Newark Print Shop and expanded my insight into the different opportunities and paths in which I would like to apply skills in the professional world.

Nikki Martinkovic Design Studio

In late February this year I started to look for internships. I was considering both printmaking internships and illustration internships. I searched for pattern design studios. I found several places that have similar styles of my drawings. I sent cold emails to around five places, and Nikki Martinkovic Design Studio was the one that replied and scheduled an interview. After interview they offered me an assignment as a test, and accepted my application one week later. Kyle Naughtrip is listed as my direct supervisor.

There are six interns for the summer; I and another girl from RISD are creative interns. We draw small elements on paper, and other employees in the studio transform them into patterns. As interns we did not get chance to do patterns by ourselves, but they gave us several tutorials on how they do patterns. We have freedom on what we want to draw. Every several weeks the studio would come together and discuss what kind of images they need more in this period of time, for example, animal prints. I tried to make three architecture collage drawings, which I like a lot.

From this experience, I improved my painting skill and learned some really useful Photoshop tricks. I have an idea on how to estimate the time for each drawing. I got chance to observe how other people works, and started thinking about drawing in a different perspective. The two creative designers at the studio hold a session and answered our questions about job opportunities in pattern design industry. I learned a lot from their experience, and knew more about pattern design industry. This opens my eyes and shows another possible path that I can consider after graduation.

I’m happy that I took this internship. This experience has prepared me well for my coming senior year. I wish I took it earlier.