Platemark Episodes

In this episode of Platemark, Shraddha Ramani and William Villalongo discuss their monumental project Printing Black America: Du Bois’s Data Portraits in the 21st Century , which is being published in fall 2025. This modern update of W.E.B. Du Bois's data visualizations from 1900, which was created in response to the George Floyd protests, focuses on the lives of Black Americans today, incorporating contemporary data and research. The project includes 30 prints produced by six major printshops a...

In this episode of Platemark, Ann talks with artist and educator Nick Ruth to discuss his multifaceted approach to art.

In this episode of Platemark, Dr. Quahana Hendree, owner of Q Hendree Art Consulting in St. Louis, Missouri, shares her unique journey as an art consultant.

In Platemark's history of prints series, Ann Shafer and Tru Ludwig present a second installment of their ONE PRINT series, this time on Peter Milton's The Train from Munich, 1991.

In this episode Ann talks with Margaret Morgan Grasselli and Elizabeth Savage about their new, massive book, Printing Colour 1700–1830: Histories, Techniques, Functions, and Receptions (Oxford: Oxford University Press and the British Academy, 2025).

Platemark podcast host Ann Shafer speaks with Miranda Metcalf and Tim Pauszek about their new venture, Hello, Print Friend Studios in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

In this episode of Platemark, Deb Puretz, an IT professional and artist, discusses her journey into the art world and navigating it as an outlier.

In this episode of Platemark, Ann talks with artist and teacher Jonathan Thomas who shares insights from his time at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), the printmaking program he chairs, and his personal studio in Baltimore.

In this episode of Platemark, Ann sits down with the legendary artist and printmaker Dan Welden. The artist is known for his pioneering work in solarplate etching, a revolutionary, chemical-free printmaking process. Welden recounts his experiences and collaborations with significant artists like Eric Fischl and Elaine and Willem de Kooning. He also delves into his personal creative struggles, preferences for classical music, and tales of his distinctive handmade house filled with artist tiles a...

In this episode of Platemark, Ann Shafer talks with artist Ellen Heck about her artistic journey and work. We talk about the intricacies of printmaking techniques, Ellen's various portrait series, and the conceptual ideas behind her work.

In this episode of the Platemark, I interview Mike Stark, the co-founder and owner of Stark Press Company. The New Jersey-based company, run by Mike and his brother Tom, builds new presses, services old presses, and aids in moving them. They often collaborate with Perry Tymeson, a legendary press repairman. Mike shares insights into designing new presses, managing a small business, and balancing creative work. We talk about studying print media at SAIC in Chicago and establishing Stark Press. We...

In this episode of Platemark, I talk with Mae Shore, a collaborative printer and owner of Shore Publishing in Tuxedo Park, New York. Mae shares her experiences working with notable artists like Jim Dine and Chuck Close.

In this episode of Platemark, I talk with Michael Verne, the owner of the Verne Collection in Cleveland, Ohio. Mike's gallery specializes in contemporary Japanese art and works by American artists residing in Japan. We talk about the challenges and...

In this episode of Platemark, Myles Calvert, a printmaker and professor, shares his extensive journey toward becoming director of the Institute for Electronic Arts at Alfred University in New York.

In this interview with the director and founder of Lily Press and the Printmaking Legacy Project, Susan Goldman shares her passion for printmaking and documentary film making. Susan discusses her journey from discovering printmaking at Indiana...

In this episode, Ann talks with Bryan Raymundo, owner of the Black Fragment Press. They discuss their meeting at the Mid America Print Council conference and Bryan’s background, from growing up in Mexico and Kansas to his love for Black Sabbath and...

In this episode of Platemark, Ann sits down with Angelina Lippert, a poster historian and the curator and director of Poster House, to discuss the inception and growth of the first museum in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to the art and history of posters.

In this episode of Platemark, Ann talks with Susan Dackerman, a curator and art historian specializing in Northern European print culture, about her recent book, Dürer's Knots: Early European Print and the Islamic East.

In this Platemark interview, artist-activist Art Hazelwood discusses his journey as a printmaker, starting with his experience moving to San Francisco in the early 90s, where he engaged in political art through the Street Sheet newspaper. He...

In this episode of Platemark, Jonathan Higgins discusses his journey as the owner and master printer of Manneken Press, established in 2000 in Bloomington, Illinois. We talk about his early life in Berkeley, California, his initial interest in art and...

In this episode of Platemark, I interview Art Werger, a renowned printmaker and retired professor from Ohio University. We discuss Art’s extensive experience and techniques in printmaking, focusing on his work in etching and mezzotint. Art shares...

In this episode Platemark, I talk with Leslie Diuguid, owner and founder of Do-Good Press in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Leslie shares her journey as a screenprinter and discusses the intricacies of screenprinting, including processes, challenges, and the...

In this episode of Platemark, I interview Cole Rogers, a master printmaker who recently co-founded C&C Editions after his long tenure at Highpoint Center for Printmaking in Minneapolis. Cole talks about his journey into printmaking, his approach...

In this History of Prints (HoP) episode, Tru and I finish talking about the life and work of William Hogarth, the father of Western sequential art.  We look at and pick apart three series: Industry and Idleness, The Four Stages of Cruelty, and...