Show Notes: s3e108 Val Lucas
In this episode, host Ann Shafer sits down with Val Lucas, the artist and master printer behind Monkton, MD-based Bowerbox Press. From her early shift from painting to printmaking at MICA to her current work casting custom metal type and ornaments, Val shares her journey through the tactile, meticulous world of letterpress. We dive into the technical evolution of the craft—balancing traditional handset type with modern polymer plates—and discuss the vibrant, tight-knit community of women preserving this historic art form. Join us for a deep dive into the patience, machinery, and artistry required to keep the "magic of the press" alive in a digital age.
IG: @bowerbox
A magnified view of the new type.
A look at the hand-casting process, using a brass foundry mat in a replica hand mold.
Val and Jim Walczak at the Sorts Caster.
A finished brass display mat, that will cast 18 point Bellflower. This was engraved on the Preis using a polymer plate pattern.
Brand new Bellflower type coming off the sorts caster, viewed from above.
The Amanita border, Val's first design, set up in a pattern for printing a book cover.
The Preis panto-engraver- the cutting bit is on the left, and the pattern and tracer on the right.
The Amanita border at 18 pt.
The Folium Undulatum border at 18 pt.
Curator / Podcaster / Fair Organizer
Ann Shafer is an independent curator, art historian, and a leading expert on the legacy of Stanley William Hayter and Atelier 17. As the creator and host of the Platemark podcast, she bridges the gap between technical print scholarship and the global community of artists and collectors.
Ann previously served as Associate Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs at the Baltimore Museum of Art and has held curatorial positions at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the National Gallery of Art. She holds a BA from The College of Wooster and an MA from Williams College. Today, she channels her three decades of expertise into organizing the Brooklyn Fine Art Print Fair, co-editing a major centennial festschrift on Atelier 17, and leading curated art history tours across Europe. (Photo credit: Becky Redett)
Show Notes: s2e37 The Venetians, Canaletto
