Broadsides Exhibit in the Pioneer Building
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 17 July 2012
Press Contact: Emily Duwel, 520-624-0595 x19
New Exhibit Explores
the Beauty of Printed Verse
On display now at the historic Pioneer Building is a unique exhibition of hand-set letterpress poems printed on single sheets – otherwise known as broadsides. Drawn from the archives of Tucson’s own Chax Press, Kore Press and the University of Arizona Poetry Center, Broadsides features among others Pulitzer prize-winning writers Allen Ginsberg, Gwendolyn Brooks and Gary Snyder and beloved Arizona poets, such as Alberto Ríos, Alison Deming and Jane Miller.
The display, which is located in the Pioneer Building Lobby and adjacent TPAC Conference Room, will remain on view through the end of September. A public reception will be held on Saturday, July 28th from 5 to 7 p.m.
The traditional “broadside” – or poster – has since the 16th century served the purposes of rulers, rabble rousers, advertisers and balladeers. In the 1960s, the broadside gained new life as writers like Gwendolyn Brooks and Allen Ginsberg began to experiment with the form in order to create a powerful visual presence for their poetry.
“A broadside often accentuates aspects of letterpress art, with deeper impressions than in book work, more colorful combinations through multiple print runs, and unique page designs,” notes Charles Alexander, founder of Chax Press and one of the exhibiting poets.
Chax Press and Kore Press, which contributed works to the exhibition, both used age-old printing methods to create many of the broadsides on display. Other works were contributed by the University of Arizona Poetry Center, whose world-class collection of rare American poetry publications is open to visitors.
Whereas traditional broadsides were meant to be discarded after use, the works featured in this exhibit are offered up as works of art that reveal the graphic beauty of poetry arranged upon a page.
The Pioneer Building is located at 100 N. Stone Avenue in Tucson. For more information, please visit our website (www.TucsonPimaArtsCouncil.org) or call 520-624-0595 x10.
