Our New Home
Since its founding in 1974, Arion Press has inhabited some of San Francisco’s most storied neighborhoods, from Chinatown to (pre-dot-com boom) South of Market to the Presidio. Now, as we mark our 50th year, we are proud to join the vibrant campus at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, on the northern edge of […]
2025 King Artist in Residence: Ala Ebtekar
Arion Press is thrilled to announce the 2025 King Artist in Residence will be Ala Ebtekar. A Bay Area native, Ebtekar is an acclaimed visual artist and faculty member at Stanford University, whose practice intertwines classical bookmaking with cutting-edge sciences and technologies. Known for his innovative work spanning from photography to illuminated manuscripts, Ebtekar personifies […]
Fables of Aesop: Arion Press Launches Ambitious 50th Anniversary Project
Arion Press is proud to present the Laureate Edition of Fables of Aesop. To commemorate its 50th anniversary, we invited 15 “Arion” artists with diverse styles and backgrounds to each select a fable to be rendered by letterpress as a relief print, whether in traditional wood block or more experimental technique. To give shape and substance to […]
#ReadingTheMap
People around the globe are so moved by Chun Yu’s “The Map 地圖” that they are recording themselves reading it. Hear voices from NY to Australia, and add your own – whether it be in English, Chinese, or another language.
Historic gift launches new speaker and exhibition series
The Grabhorn Institute and Arion Press are thrilled to announce a $400,000, three-year gift from Denver philanthropist and book collector Taylor Kirkpatrick. This major gift—one of the three largest donations in the Institute’s history—will sponsor an ambitious series of pilot programs designed to democratize letterpress printing and foster compelling dialogue about the evolving place of books in civic life. The pledge will launch a slate of initiatives including a literary speaker series, a bookmaking apprenticeship, and a quarterly exhibition series.
Announcing the Arion Artist Talks
The Grabhorn Institute and Arion Press are thrilled to announce a major contribution from philanthropist and president emerita of the Museum of Modern Art Agnes Gund. This pivotal gift will launch a new series of quarterly talks in 2022 designed to bring artists and writers face to face in public dialogue. The Arion Artist Talks will pair leading visual artists with authors and musicians in conversation about the key ideas animating the world of art today. Each talk will be hosted as a live event free to the public, and viewers can also participate virtually on YouTube.
Arion Press King Artist Residency
Arion Press is pleased to announce the launch of the King Artist in Residency—a new initiative in honor of the Grabhorn Institute’s late board chair Kevin King. The King Residency will bring visual artists to Arion’s historic facility to create and conceive book and print projects alongside the Press’s team of expert craftspeople. Artists will have the opportunity for hands-on training and collaboration with Arion’s foundry, pressroom, and bindery and enjoy access to unique printmaking equipment, archives, and resources located at the historic press. The King Residency has committed funding for three years and has assembled a Steering Committee of community leaders to guide the program. Each residency will be for up to six weeks, with studio and living space provided for the artist.