David Jones and Marilyn Propp, Anchor Press, Paper & Print

The history of Anchor Press, Paper & Print began 33 years ago. It is the iteration of Anchor Graphics, Chicago, founded by David Jones and Marilyn Propp in 1990. After leaving the legendary Landfall Press, David decided: “We need to start a printshop where people can explore printmaking in a safe welcoming place.” After a year of writing, talking to people, and searching for other models of community-based workshops, he discovered the model: the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, founded by Mr. Blackburn, a master printer, in NYC in 1947. He called Bob and asked him how he did it, and with a generous and encouraging laugh he said it would take “everything you have!”

And with that David and Marilyn established Anchor Graphics, the only nonprofit fine art printshop in Chicago. Anchor served the community by providing access to a variety of traditional print processes, offering classes and outreach activities to youth and adults, establishing an artist residency program, holding exhibitions, and creating publishing and contract printing opportunities, soon becoming an internationally recognized printshop. Students from colleges and universities throughout the country became Anchor’s interns. In its last ten years, Anchor Graphics was a vibrant part of Columbia College Chicago. In 2015 the college shut down the shop, and three years later they trucked all of Anchor’s equipment to Milwaukee.

From 2018 to 2020 the equipment sat in storage, while David and Marilyn, with the help of the newly formed board of directors—artists, educators, and professionals—reestablished the organization as Anchor Press, Paper & Print, Milwaukee’s only community-based printshop, a place where professionals and inquirers could have a safe space to explore the time-honored craft of hand printmaking. For the past year, Anchor Press, Paper & Print (AP3) has served that role, providing educational opportunities, studio access, professional guidance, and fine art publishing for all Milwaukee communities. 

Now firmly established in the vibrant House of RAD, AP3 boasts a new studio within Riverwest. Shop Manager Julia Scheckel, and AP3’s dedicated Board Members Rachel Foster, Celeste Contreras, Jessica Meuninck-Ganger, and the rest of our volunteers keep the organization moving forward.

AP3 actively seeks to nurture partnerships with schools, organizations, and institutions throughout the city and region and is dedicated to fostering a growing community of artists and enthusiasts, to better carry out our vision of providing public access to hand printmaking and papermaking.

To celebrate our one-year anniversary, we’ve invited local artists and printmakers to create our first Annual Anchor Press, Paper & Print Calendar: a hand-printed, limited-edition suite of fine art prints. The calendar features the vibrant work of 14 Milwaukee-based artists and designers: Melanie Ariens, Celeste Contreras, Kathryn D’Amato, Raoul Deal, Rachel Foster, David Jones, Teddy Dean Lepley III, Conhg Lopez, Gregory Martens, Jessica Meuninck-Ganger, Marilyn Propp, Julia Scheckel, Paula Schulze and Beth Stoddard. 

Join us as we celebrate one year in our Milwaukee home at our Inaugural Calendar Fundraiser, with presentations from the artists, food, and custom cocktails on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, 6-9 p.m., 900 E. Keefe.

Visit: anchorpresspaperandprint.org

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Photo by Erol Reyal

Anchor Press

Anchor Press