PPL Historical Letterpress Block Collection Workshop
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Create prints using these historical blocks during this workshop!
The printing blocks are images of Rhode Island, circa 1930s-1950s. The images are primarily of leisure and recreation activities.
The Rhode Island Development Council, images on many of the blocks can be found printed in various tourism and pamphlets published by the Council. The blocks were all created by the Council during the course of their work. The photographer(s) or the individuals pictured in the images are not identified.
All Supplies Provided:
You don't need to bring anything except yourself! We provide everything you will need.
Rhode Island Creatives Show/Carl Jung Series
For a small city in the smallest state, Rhode Island has produced outsized Black artists in a variety of genres. In the 19th century, artists such as Sissieretta Jones, Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, and Christiana Cartreaux Bannister brought music, visual art, and style to the city. The 20th century saw artists such as Mahler B. Ryder and Cheryl Miller further Black art and design here and in the world. After attending Rhode Island School of Design (specifically to work with Ryder), Cheryl Miller went on to become a pioneering Black female graphic designer in the United States. Mahler Ryder, Illustration Professor at RISD, had an illustrious career that included a show at the Whitney Museum. Rhode Island continues to attract and produce artists, musicians, and designers of world-wide acclaim. The legacy that these past artists created lives on in the creative output of Rhode Island artists of all backgrounds today. We all stand on the shoulders of the greatness that came before.
--Ulli K. Ryder, Ph.D.
