MCBA to Name Type Library in Memory of First Printer-in-Residence
Minnesota Center for Book Arts will formally rename its typesetting library in memory of Allan Kornblum, MCBA's first printer-in-residence, and a trailblazer in Minnesota's literary community and the publishing industry at large. In the early 1980s, Kornblum moved his Toothpaste Press to the Twin Cities from Iowa City, rechristening it as Coffee House Press. Kornblum continued to be a close friend and collaborator with MCBA throughout the years, donating a press and wood and metal type for use in MCBA’s studios.
A leading light in the literary community, Allan built his world, and ours, around the penned and printed word. His joy of literature, his skill at the press, and his passion for writers and readers was unmatched. -- Jeff Rathermel, MCBA Executive Director
MCBA Type Library Dedication
Saturday, February 25; 3-5pm
MCBA's Lower Print Studio
Join us as we honor Allan Kornblum’s legacy with commemorative broadsides printed on Kornblum's press, along with light refreshments. Remarks at 4pm.
About the Type Library
From Garamond to Goudy Light, the Type Library at Minnesota Center for Book Arts is filled with resources for writers, poets, artists, and printers to tell stories, one letter at a time. The tens of thousands of pounds of antique type, and over 500 unique typefaces support printers and artists of all disciplines in their creative work.
About Allan Kornblum
In 1973, Kornblum founded a small mimeograph periodical in Iowa City, Iowa that evolved into Toothpaste Press, a publishing house specializing in the production of high-quality poetry and short fiction letterpress chapbooks. Kornblum’s affiliation with the vibrant Minnesota publishing scene began in the mid-1980s, when he transferred operations from Iowa to Minneapolis. In addition to the change of venue, Kornblum renamed and reincorporated the organization as a non-profit, Coffee House Press. At a time when loose editing and production standards were the norm, Kornblum made strides toward the professionalism that typifies the industry today. That included shifting from letterpress to offset printing, using computerized typesetting, and improving the marketing and distribution of new titles. Those changes allowed Coffee House to reach a wider audience, which in turn allowed showcased authors - who may not have gained traction in the larger New York world of publishing - the opportunity to find the readers they deserved.
About Minnesota Center for Book Arts
A respected and dedicated champion of the field, Minnesota Center for Book Arts is the largest and most comprehensive center of its kind. We celebrate the book as a vibrant contemporary art form that takes many shapes. Our mission is clear: to lead the advancement of the book as an evolving art form.
MCBA is committed to book art, artists and appreciators. Our mission is achieved through quality programs that support a broad continuum of creators, learners and admirers. We lead the field by promoting innovation, sustaining traditions, educating new enthusiasts, inspiring creative expression and honoring artistic excellence. From the traditional crafts of papermaking, letterpress printing and bookbinding to new methods of art-making and communication, MCBA supports the limitless creative development of book arts.
Minnesota Center for Book Arts at Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave S, First Floor, Minneapolis MN 55415.
Phone 612.215.2520 . Fax 612.215.2545 . mcba@mnbookarts.org
