Events
Celebrating 50 Years
Fifty years ago, Andrew Hoyem officially founded Arion Press, establishing what would become one
of the country’s last >ine book printers. Since then, we have released 127 exquisitely handcrafted
tomes—classic literature reimagined by contemporary artists, whose singular vision brings a new
perspective to the text.
Our diverse and distinct catalogue includes Moby Dick by Herman Melville, produced in 1979 with 100 wood engravings by Barry Moser; The Physiology of Taste by Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, published in 1994 with notes by M. F. K. Fisher and 200 drawings by Wayne Thiebaud; and Woolgathering by Patti Smith, created in 2022 with 13 photograms by Christian Marclay. (Our 2024 titles are Kindred and Fables of Aesop.)
Our milestone anniversary coincides with the beginning of a new chapter for Arion Press: this fall, under the architectural stewardship of Mark Jensen, we will be opening our doors at Fort Mason’s Landmark Building B. Construction of the new facility is already underway, with the relocation of our historic equipment and machinery slated for late summer. We expect to be fully operational there—setting lead type, inking and pressing paper, sewing book bindings—by October 1, just in
time for an epic celebration.
Our Move to Fort Mason
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, another move is in store—to Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, on the northern edge of the city.
As of this fall, you can find Arion Press and M&H Type, along with our 47 tons of historic equipment and century-old machinery, on the campus’ Landmark Building B. At the new TK-square-foot facility—which will house a letterpress room, type foundry, and book bindery on one level—our limited-edition books will continue to flourish and be made by hand, from start to finish.
Our new neighbors will include arts organizations such as FOR-SITE Foundation, Magic Theatre, and SF Cameraworks. The iconic location by the Bay, coupled with Fort Mason’s rich programming, will allow exponentially more people to experience and appreciate our craft first hand.
Past Events at the Arion Press
Arion Press Literary Dinner
The inaugural Arion Press Literary Dinner will gather authors and artists from across the Bay Area to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Press and the public unveiling of Arion’s new home at Fort Mason.
The Dinner will present a dynamic program designed around Arion’s Fables of Aesop publication featuring modern morals by beloved comic author Daniel Handler, a sculptural box by iconic artist Kiki Smith, and prints from 15 Arion artists who each illustrated one fable.
Please join us for a special evening with a cocktail reception spotlighting the Aesop artists in attendance, a seated dinner with a light program emceed by Daniel Handler, and the first public viewing of Arion’s new atelier including the pressroom, bindery, and foundry.
Arion Press Artist Talk: "Fables of Aesop" with Daniel Handler
Arion Press invites you to celebrate the release of our latest book Fables of Aesop with a dynamic artist talk moderated by Daniel Handler. Join us for a vibrant, on-stage dialogue with Daniel Handler in conversation with seven artists who contributed original work to the publication.
Fables of Aesop was envisioned to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Arion Press. To honor the milestone, Arion invited 15 past artists to illustrate one fable for this laudatory Aesop edition featuring modern morals penned by Daniel Handler and a sculptural box designed by Kiki Smith.
Speakers will include a range of participating artists including Sandow Birk, Enrique Chagoya, Kenturah Davis, Natalie Frank, Audrey Niffenegger, Michele Oka Doner, and Richard Wagener. An audience Q&A will follow the conversation.
Doors open at noon at the Bayfront Theater on the third floor of Landmark Building B at Fort Mason.
This talk will coincide with the public opening of Arion’s new facility at Fort Mason, taking place directly after the event on the ground floor of Landmark Building B.
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“The Lion and the Mouse” image by Enrique Chagoya
Arion Press Opening Day at Fort Mason
After 24 years in the Presidio, Arion Press is excited to open the doors of our new home at Fort Mason to the public on Saturday, October 19th.
Join us for a celebratory Open House from 2 – 5 p.m. as Arion welcomes the community to visit our new facility for the first time. Come out to the Press for an interactive walkthrough of the traditional crafts of typecasting, letterpress printing, and bookbinding. Hands-on activities will include printing your own letterpress keepsake and folding paper signatures into a souvenir booklet in the bindery.
The new Arion Press Gallery will feature an exhibition of artwork from Arion’s upcoming Fables of Aesop publication. The exhibition includes original works by Sandow Birk, Enrique Chagoya, Kenturah Davis, Natalie Frank, Audrey Niffenegger, Michele Oka Doner, Richard Wagener, and more.
This event is free and open to the public. All ages welcome.
Kirkpatrick Speaker Series: Azar Nafisi
Please join us at Arion Press for a compelling conversation with Azar Nafisi on the power of literature to defy censorship as the second Kirkpatrick Speaker of 2024.
Bestselling author Azar Nafisi will appear in conversation with novelist Ingrid Rojas Contreras to discuss the recent wave of book bannings in America and how reading acts as a form of resistance. The talk will draw inspiration from Dr. Nafisi’s most recent book Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times which explores the power of the written word in a turbulent era.
Doors open at 6 p.m., with drinks and light bites to follow.
The Kirkpatrick Speaker Series is made possible by the generous support of Taylor Kirkpatrick.
Azar Nafisi is a critically acclaimed Iranian-American author and lifelong champion of literature’s democratic power. Her memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran spent over 117 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, was translated into 32 languages, and has won many prestigious literary awards. After earning her Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma, she held fellowships at the Foreign Policy Institute of Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and Oxford University, and taught at the University of Tehran. Her most recent book Read Dangerously offers a subversive guide to literature in turbulent times. She is a sought-after expert on Iran and human rights.
Ingrid Rojas Contreras was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. Her memoir, The Man Who Could Move Clouds, was a Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, and National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist and won a California Book Award. Her first novel Fruit of the Drunken Tree was the silver medal winner in First Fiction from the California Book Awards and a New York Times editor’s choice. Her essays and short stories have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, The Cut, Zyzzyva, and elsewhere. Rojas Contreras has received numerous awards and fellowships, and is a Visiting Writer at Saint Mary’s College.
Cover art from Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times by Azar Nafisi.
Kirkpatrick Speaker Series: Nicholson Baker
Please join us for an enriching conversation on the cultural weight of paper as Arion welcomes author Nicholson Baker as the first Kirkpatrick Speaker of 2024.
Celebrated novelist and culture critic Nicholson Baker will deliver a spirited talk titled “The Weight of Paper” exploring the cultural and physical gravity of the paper book in a digital century. Baker’s wide-ranging discussion will investigate the evolving science of reading on paper vs. pixels, the challenge of maintaining manuscript collections, and history’s need for documentation that does not rely on electricity. The talk will take inspiration from Baker’s upcoming book Finding a Likeness: How I Got Somewhat Better at Art to celebrate how both writing and drawing are ways of embracing the three-dimensional world.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with drinks and light bites to follow.
The Kirkpatrick Speaker Series is made possible by the generous support of Taylor Kirkpatrick.
Art & Abortion: A Dialogue on the Vital Connection between Contemporary Art and Reproductive Rights
Arion Press and The Brigid Alliance are joining forces to present a public conversation uniting the worlds of contemporary art and reproductive rights. This event will celebrate the launch of a limited-edition broadside with artwork by Alison Saar and an original poem by Evie Shockley inspired by the societal dialogue around reproductive rights in today’s hostile political climate. Shockley wrote the original poem “The Old Ways” for the broadside inspired by her scholarship around Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, which Saar illustrated with a Linocut print image.
The evening will feature a dynamic conversation between poet Evie Shockley, poet Aracelis Girmay, and nonprofit leader Serra Sippel, moderated by artist and filmmaker Dorka Keehn.
Tickets include admission to the talk and a catered reception. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served from 5:00-6:00 p.m. The conversation begins at 6:00 p.m. All proceeds from the event and the broadside will be donated to support The Brigid Alliance.
YOU SAID WHAT: Stories of Battling Censorship in the Age of Book Banning
Porchlight Storytelling Series joins forces with Arion Press for YOU SAID WHAT, an evening of live storytelling about confronting censorship, suppression, and attempts to stifle freedom of speech. To accompany the Arion Press Gallery’s new exhibition (un)BANNED, a group show in response to the disturbing rise of book bannings, Porchlight has assembled a powerhouse cast of speakers who will entertain, delight, and possibly unsettle with their personal tales of struggle, humility, failure, and triumph in the face of censorship.
Reception at 6:30 p.m. Performance at 7 p.m.
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Limited parking is available throughout the Presidio near visitor destinations, such as the Arion Press / M&H Type / Grabhorn Institute building. Most parking areas are regulated seven days a week. When parking, always look for and follow posted regulations, which may differ around the Presidio.
There are two parking lots located near our building, both accessible from 14th Avenue. Please note that we are not responsible for fees and damages accrued from illegal parking.
Kirkpatrick Speaker Series: Making It
Celebrate the human impulse to create and share tangible objects as Porchlight and Arion Press join forces for an evening of stories, art, music, and demos. Presenters include legendary prop maker Adam Savage, artist and knot evangelist Windy Chien, percussionist William WInant with clarinetist Ben Goldberg, master bookbinder Dominic Riley, comics and zine maker Avy Jetter, and Arion’s own typecaster and press operator Brian Ferrett.
Reception at 6:30 p.m. Performance at 7:30 p.m.
The Kirkpatrick Speaker Series is made possible by the generous support of Taylor Kirkpatrick.
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Limited parking is available throughout the Presidio near visitor destinations, such as the Arion Press / M&H Type / Grabhorn Institute building. Most parking areas are regulated seven days a week. When parking, always look for and follow posted regulations, which may differ around the Presidio.
There are two parking lots located near our building, both accessible from 14th Avenue. Please note that we are not responsible for fees and damages accrued from illegal parking.
Arion Publication Party: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Come out to the Arion Press and celebrate the release of our latest artist book: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston featuring artwork by Kenturah Davis.
Join us for a compelling evening with a live conversation between artist Kenturah Davis and filmmaker Tracy Heather Strain about the enduring influence of Janie Crawford’s story and Hurston’s legacy, with poet Tonya Foster moderating.
Cocktails and appetizers in the atrium at 5:30 p.m. Program begins at 6:00 p.m. Books will be available for pre-order at the event.
Disclaimer: Please note that the views presented by third party speakers are their own views and may not necessarily be the same as those of UBS Group AG and its affiliates. UBS does not attest to the accuracy and completeness of any information or associated materials provided by them. UBS makes no recommendation in relation to them or their services.
Do not attend this event if you have any of the following: Symptoms of COVID-19 (which may include cough, shortness of breath, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, congestion or runny nose not related to allergies). Fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (F) or higher. Pending viral test for COVID infection due to symptoms. Diagnosis of COVID infection in the prior 10 days. Close contact to someone with COVID during the prior 14 days.
Important information about brokerage and advisory services. As a firm providing wealth management services to clients, UBS Financial Services Inc. offers investment advisory services in its capacity as an SEC-registered investment adviser and brokerage services in its capacity as an SEC-registered broker-dealer. Investment advisory services and brokerage services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate arrangements. It is important that you understand the ways in which we conduct business and that you carefully read the agreements and disclosures that we provide about the products or services we offer. For more information, please review client relationship summary provided at ubs.com/relationshipsummary
Lam Tung Pang pop-up exhibition, in collaboration with the Asian Art Museum
This summer visitors to our Presidio workshop will be able to view a special project produced in collaboration with the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. This pop-up exhibition of Arion’s limited-edition multiple, a novel interpretation of Lam Tung Pang’s “Past Continuous Tense,” will be celebrated with relief print and silkscreen poster editions by the artist. The book itself is an accordion-fold volume based on the eponymous monumental installation currently on view at the museum, produced in an edition of 70 copies for distribution. It pairs an excerpt of the artwork with a specially commissioned poem by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Forrest Gander, in a cloth-bound and letterpress-printed presentation. In parallel, the press will release a limited-edition 4-color relief print of a drawing by the artist, “We Need Sun & Books,” in addition to a larger silkscreen poster version, both of which are available for sale.
Arion Artist Talk: Laurie Anderson & Helena Sarin
Artist, musician, and avant-garde pioneer Laurie Anderson will appear in conversation with trailblazing AI artist Helena Sarin about the imaginative potential of artificial intelligence. Join us on Thursday, January 12 for a stimulating exploration of artificial intelligence and the artist book moderated by Davia Nelson.
Reception at 5:30 p.m. Talk at 6:30 p.m.
The Arion Artist Talks are a series of public events made possible by the generous support of Agnes Gund.
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One of America’s most renowned and daring creative pioneers, Laurie Anderson is best known for her music, multimedia presentations and innovative use of technology. As writer, director, visual artist and vocalist she has created a series of groundbreaking works that span the worlds of art, theater, and experimental music. Introduced to mainstream pop culture through the single “O Superman” from her 1981 debut album Big Science and large-scale theater piece United States, Anderson released a procession of albums including Mister Heartbreak, Strange Angels, Bright Red, Life on a String, and Homeland, among others, and has collaborated with artists including Brian Eno, Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, Philip Glass, John Zorn, William S. Burroughs, Spalding Gray, Christian McBride, Bobby McFerrin, and the Kronos Quartet. She continues to produce new touring productions combining her music and visual art that range from simple spoken word to elaborate multimedia stage performances, and she directed the 2015 documentary film Heart of a Dog, which received an Independent Spirit Awards nomination.
Visual artist and software engineer Helena Sarin has always worked with cutting-edge technologies for tech companies. But art and software ran as parallel tracks in her life, all her art being analog, until she discovered GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks). Since then, generative models became her primary medium. Helena’s artwork has been exhibited at AI Art exhibitions in Zurich, Dubai, Oxford, Shanghai, Zaragoza, Lutz, Miami Basel (each year since 2019) and was featured in “Art In America” as well as upcoming books on NFT Art by Rizzoli and Taschen. She is a frequent speaker at ML/AI conferences, in the last two years delivering invited talks at MIT, Eyeo Festival, Library of Congress, Capitol One, Adobe Research, CMU, TEDx Konstanz, and Nvidia GTC. Her celebrated artist book include “The Book of GANesis,” “GANcommedia Erudita,” “Leaves of Manifold” and “The Book of #veGAN”.
All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Grabhorn Institute .
Photo credit: Ron Blunt. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Kirkpatrick Speaker Series: Tobias Wolff and Patrick Wolff
You’re cordially invited to the next installment of the Kirkpatrick Speaker Series on Tuesday, September 13.
Join us at the last integrated bookmaking facility left in the United States for an evening of spirited conversation and camaraderie—both literary and musical—between novelist Tobias Wolff and Patrick Wolff, with Robert Mailer Anderson moderating. Afterwards, Patrick Wolff will perform with members of his trio, bassist Marcus Shelby and drummer Hamir Atwal, and close out the evening.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with drinks and light bites to follow shortly thereafter.
The Kirkpatrick Speaker Series is made possible by the generous support of Taylor Kirkpatrick.
Public Tour at Arion Press
Arion Press is ecstatic to host public tours of its production floor.
This in-depth tour takes you through the hot metal type foundry, letterpress room, and bookbindery – one of the last facilities of its kind. Listed in 111 Places in San Francisco That You Must Not Miss. Featured on Raw Craft with Anthony Bourdain and on Business Insider’s Still Standing.
Arrive early to peruse the gallery and bookstore. Only 12 spots available.
Note that the location is Hays St in the Presidio neighborhood and NOT downtown.
Public Tour at Arion Press
Arion Press Public Tour of our foundry, letterpress shop, and bookbindery!
Arion Press is ecstatic to host public tours of its production floor.
This in-depth tour takes you through the hot metal type foundry, letterpress room, and bookbindery – one of the last facilities of its kind. Listed in 111 Places in San Francisco That You Must Not Miss. Featured on Raw Craft with Anthony Bourdain and on Business Insider’s Still Standing.
Arrive early to peruse the gallery and bookstore. Only 12 spots available.
Note that the location is Hays St in the Presidio neighborhood and NOT downtown.
Public Tour at Arion Press
Arion Press Public Tour of our foundry, letterpress shop, and bookbindery!
Arion Press is ecstatic to host public tours of its production floor.
This in-depth tour takes you through the hot metal type foundry, letterpress room, and bookbindery – one of the last facilities of its kind. Listed in 11 Places in San Francisco That You Must Not Miss. Featured on Raw Craft with Anthony Bourdain and on Business Insider’s Still Standing.
Arrive early to peruse the gallery and bookstore. Only 12 spots available.
Note that the location is Hays St in the Presidio neighborhood and NOT downtown.
Public Tour at Arion Press
Arion Press Public Tour of our foundry, letterpress shop, and bookbindery!
Arion Press is ecstatic to host public tours of its production floor.
This in-depth tour takes you through the hot metal type foundry, letterpress room, and bookbindery – one of the last facilities of its kind. Listed in 111 Places in San Francisco That You Must Not Miss. Featured on Raw Craft with Anthony Bourdain and on Business Insider’s Still Standing.
Arrive early to peruse the gallery and bookstore. Only 12 spots available.
Note that the location is Hays St in the Presidio neighborhood and NOT downtown.
On the Highway of Letters: A Literary Talk by Nicholas Basbanes
Please join Arion Press for the inaugural talk in the Kirkpatrick Speaker Series on the vital role of books in public life sponsored by philanthropist Taylor Kirkpatrick.
Celebrated journalist Nicholas Basbanes will expand on his seminal history of book collecting A Gentle Madness with an original talk “On the Highway of Letters: Forty Years Among the Gently Mad” charting his continued adventures among books and book people. The lecture will be preceded by a reception with drinks and appetizers.
Public Tour at Arion Press
Arion Press Public Tour of our foundry, letterpress shop, and bookbindery!
Arion Press is ecstatic to host public tours of its production floor.
This in-depth tour takes you through the hot metal type foundry, letterpress room, and bookbindery – one of the last facilities of its kind. Listed in 111 Places in San Francisco That You Must Not Miss. Featured on Raw Craft with Anthony Bourdain and on Business Insider’s Still Standing.
Arrive early to peruse the gallery and bookstore. Only 12 spots available.
Note that the location is Hays St in the Presidio neighborhood and NOT downtown.
Opening Reception & Reading: Al Mutanabbi Street Starts Here
SHADOW and LIGHT: Al Mutanabbi Street Starts Here
Join Arion Press in a community gathering and reading to mark 15 years since the car bombing of Al Mutanabbi Street, Baghdad’s famed literary corridor. It is also the 15th anniversary of the Al Mutanabbi Street Starts Here project — a global movement of resistance, memory, and solidarity initiated by San Francisco poet and bookseller Beau Beausoleil.
An exhibition of photographic responses honoring Iraqi academics targeted and assassinated between 2003-2012 will join a display of letterpress broadsides and prints from a loose coalition of artist-activists.
Public Tour at Arion Press
Arion Press Public Tour of our foundry, letterpress shop, and bookbindery!
Arion Press is ecstatic to host public tours of its production floor.
This in-depth tour takes you through the hot metal type foundry, letterpress room, and bookbindery – one of the last facilities of its kind. Listed in 111 Places in San Francisco That You Must Not Miss. Featured on Raw Craft with Anthony Bourdain and on Business Insider’s Still Standing.
Arrive early to peruse the gallery and bookstore. Only 12 spots available.
Note that the location is Hays St in the Presidio neighborhood and NOT downtown.
Shadow and Light: Al-Mutanabbi Starts Here
March 5, 2022 will mark 15 years since the car bombing of Baghdad’s famed literary corridor al-Mutanabbi Street and the 15th year anniversary of the Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here movement founded by local bookseller and poet Beau Beausoleil. Each year, across the globe—from Sydney to Berlin, Iowa City to London, Baghdad to Santa Cruz, and of course here in San Francisco—institutions and individuals organize readings as an act of witness to affirm the free exchange of ideas. This loose coalition of literary activists and artists has produced broadsides, anthologies, prints, and a photography project honoring assassinated Iraqi academics titled Shadow and Light. Arion is proud to showcase these creative responses highlighting the power of words to transcend attempts to silence the human spirit through violence and destruction.
Exhibition runs March 1 through May 18, 2022
Gallery hours: 8:30a–5p, Monday–Friday
Artwork by Bev Samler
Public Tour at Arion Press
Arion Press Public Tour of our foundry, letterpress shop, and bookbindery!
Arion Press is ecstatic to host public tours of its production floor.
This in-depth tour takes you through the hot metal type foundry, letterpress room, and bookbindery – one of the last facilities of its kind. Listed in 111 Places in San Francisco That You Must Not Miss. Featured on Raw Craft with Anthony Bourdain and on Business Insider’s Still Standing.
Arrive early to peruse the gallery and bookstore. Only 12 spots available.
Note that the location is Hays St in the Presidio neighborhood and NOT downtown.
Morte de Smudgie Book Launch Party with Audrey Niffenegger
Celebrate the latest book collaboration of Arion Press, Margaret Atwood, and Audrey Niffenegger: Morte de Smudgie.
UNCOVERED: The Artists of Arion Press
UNCOVERED: The Artists of Arion Press is a new exhibition showcasing the finest examples of Arion’s collaborations with major artists over the past 4 decades. Much of this artwork has never before been available for public viewing. Opens on October 2, 2021 at the Arion gallery in the Presidio and will remain on view until November 19, 2021.
Arion Press celebrates the broadside publication of Chun Yu’s poem “The Map 地圖” with Two Languages/One Community Project
Come out and celebrate Arion Press’s broadside of Chun Yu’s poem “The Map 地圖” (purchase here) with an introduction of the publication by Arion Press and a poetry reading by Yu, followed by a live conversation between Yu and poet Michael Warr on culture and community connections. This event is co-presented by the Two Languages / One Community project (founded by Yu and Warr) as a public dialogue about the importance of cross-cultural exchange and story-telling. The event will be followed by a light reception and brief tour of Arion’s unique letterpress printing facility.
The event will be presented both in person at the Arion facility and digitally via Zoom.
Bay Area Made: Small Batch & Made to Order
Come see the work of 50 of the Bay Area’s finest makers in the “Bay Area Made: Small Batch & Made to Order” exhibit at Arion Press’ beautiful gallery at 1802 Hays Street, The Presidio, San Francisco. The exhibit is part of SF Design Week. Dates are the weekends of June 12/13 & 19/20 from 11am – 5pm. Learn how their products are made and why they are better for the user, the community, and the planet.
Hand Bookbinders of California Annual Exhibition
Extended through October 16, 2020! The Hand Bookbinders of California (HBC) will celebrate their 48th year in 2020 with a members exhibition at Arion Press. HBC is an organization of individuals dedicated to preserving and passing on the traditions of fine binding and book arts. Their members are students and professionals, fine binders, letterpress printers, book artists, calligraphers, print makers and more. The annual exhibition showcases the diverse talents of their members.
Gallery hours: Fridays, 10am-4pm. Select Saturdays, Noon-4pm. Free reservation requested.
July 17, 2020, 4–5:30pm: Virtual opening reception. Free registration.
September 25, 6:00pm: Closing reception canceled in light of COVID-19 restrictions.
The World of William Saroyan
This exhibition is postponed due to COVID-19. New dates to be announced.
For the first time in more than ten years, the world of William Saroyan’s artistic and literary creation will be unveiled in his beloved San Francisco in a sweeping exhibition featuring drawings, paintings, unpublished manuscripts, correspondences, musical compositions, and ephemera. Known as a prolific creator, winner of both an Academy Award and the Pulitzer Prize, Saroyan wrote or painted nearly daily for decades and saved much of this output for posterity.
In 1934, twenty-six-year-old Saroyan debuted on the American literary landscape garnering critical accolades. His short fiction was unconventional, rhythmic and fresh, exciting a country in the depths of the Depression. At a time when his Central Valley contemporary John Steinbeck was writing about the gritty realities of working life in California, Saroyan presented a hopeful view of humanity, highlighting the California that was a haven for hard-working immigrants who struggled but also celebrated life in their adopted land. Until his death in 1981, Saroyan wrote about his lived experiences, harnessing stories from his own life, imbuing them with the surprising combination of authenticity and parable.
In this exhibit, Charles Janigian, a cousin of William Saroyan, shares his private family collection with the support of The Grabhorn Institute. Special programming will accompany the exhibit, including an evening honoring Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.
Cancelled - Screening: Searching for Posada: Art and Revolutions
In keeping with the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), especially pertaining to the holding of public events, this documentary screening is cancelled. The health and safety of our community is of great importance and we feel that cancelling this event is an appropriate step to help limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Please take care of yourself and see a doctor if you are not feeling well.
Docent Walk-Through With Enrique Chagoya and Jim Nikas
Please join the Grabhorn Institute, artist Enrique Chagoya and Jim Nikas, Director of the Posada Art Foundation, for a guided tour of our exhibition of the political illustrations of the prolific and popular Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913), known for enduring images such as La Calavera Catrina. This is a unique opportunity to learn about the artist from two educators who have cultivated an intimate relationship with his work. The exhibition features nearly seventy selections from the Brady Nikas Collection and Posada Art Foundation, including rarely shown original printing plates and historical prints.
Gallery Opening: José Guadalupe Posada: The Art of Cultural Critique
The Grabhorn Institute is thrilled to host an exhibition of the political illustrations of the prolific and popular Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913). Known for enduring works such as La Calavera Catrina, Posada’s art has been collected by local documentarian Jim Nikas, who will lead a docent tour of the exhibition on March 5, 2020 and present a film about the artist’s life on March 18, 2020. Exhibition on view February 11, 2020 through April 3, 2020.
San Francisco Public Library Valentine's Day Broadside Printing Event
Join the Grabhorn Institute’s own Brian Ferrett and Jeff Raymond at the San Francisco Public Library for the 9th Annual Valentine Broadside Printing Event, hosted by the Marjorie G. and Carl W. Stern Book Arts & Special Collections Center. Experience letterpress printing on a 1909 Albion hand press and walk away with your very own keepsake—printed by you! You will be printing an image from the library’s collection with the assistance of printers from the American Printing History Association’s NorCal Chapter—including Brian and Jeff. Everyone is invited, but keepsakes are limited to the first 100 guests.
Holiday Open House
Join us for a rare weekend opportunity to visit our pressroom, bookbindery, typefoundry, and gallery on Saturday, December 7th between 11am and 4pm for our annual free holiday open house. We will celebrate the 99th birthday of one of our typecasting machines; share stories about the history of printing in San Francisco; demonstrate our historic tools and machinery and spread good cheer. RSVP here.
Many holiday gifts will be available only in our storefront:
letterpress printed books & keepsakes
metal type
typographic posters & ephemera
limited edition prints & photographs
broadsides, notecards, hand crafted journals, and custom letterhead
gift certificates