“We’re part of more of a community, with more foot traffic, more people,” added Rolph Blythe, director of the press. The new location features an archive of all previous titles, an interactive gallery, and a retail space. A speaker series and a resident artist program are also planned, with artist Ala Ebtekar joining as an artist in residence in 2025.
This fall, Arion was working on a Fables of Aesop with “modern morals” penned by Daniel Handler, presented in a sculptural box conceived by Kiki Smith, with prints from leading artists including Kara Walker, Enrique Chagoya, Barry Moser, Audrey Niffenegger, and Kenturah Davis. The text appears folio-style in a presentation box adorned with Smith’s artwork and crafted out of fabric sourced from Hungary. On the lid is a mouse cast in metal, and two cat bells hidden inside tinkle when the box is pulled from the shelf. (Both elements are inspired by Smith’s chosen fable, “Belling the Cat.”) All told, thirty-six artists and craftspeople were involved in the creation of this fiftieth anniversary edition.
Riley said Fables was chosen in part because the stories, while “deeply entwined in our cultural psyche … change with the times, as does letterpress printing.” The sculptural elements call to mind other Arion titles that have used unconventional materials, including a 2023 collection of Edgar Allan Poe’s writings that incorporated bricks from one of the writer’s former homes, crushed and molded into his likeness.
The first Arion title printed entirely in the Fort Mason location will be an edition of the Epic of Gilgamesh, with additional text by Nicholas Basbanes and illustrations by Barry Moser. Slated to come out in April 2025, the book, like all of Arion’s work, spans the centuries, putting an ancient tale in a modern context. That feels appropriate for a press with old roots, but in the midst of a new beginning. And in a high-tech city that can struggle to retain unique cultural spaces, it’s a testament to the enduring power of the book.
