LSU Museum of Art presents Carved & Crafted: The Art of Letterpress on view June 12, 2025.
on view June 12–September 21, 2025
Baton Rouge, LA – The LSU Museum of Art is pleased to announce Carved & Crafted: The Art of Letterpress, on view June 12, 2025.
The exhibition Carved & Crafted: The Art of Letterpress explores the centuries-old printing process through the work of artist Jim Sherraden, artist and musician Jon Langford, and Hatch Show Print, a renowned Nashville-based letterpress atelier. Including a selection of original and historic Hatch poster restrikes, early prints by Sherraden, and current collaborative work by the latter and Langford, viewers will gain an appreciation for the handmade. Letterpress and woodblock printing is rooted in tradition, craftsmanship, and legacy—much of which is slowly disappearing from contemporary printmaking practices as industrial and digital technologies replace apprenticeship, handwork, and practice. Sherraden and Langford, along with Celene Aubry, the longtime manager of Hatch Show Print, and the many shop designers and printers who have trained there, are preserving the legacy of these centuries-old processes and a historic American advertising press.
In 1879, Charles and Herbert, sons of Reverend William T. Hatch, a master printer and shop owner, established C.R. & H. H. Hatch, Printers in Nashville, Tennessee, unknowingly establishing a lasting legacy in American letterpress and advertising. Their first design, a handbill announcing a talk by Minister Henry Ward Beecher, brother to Harriet Ward Beecher, the renowned author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, launched the straightforward style that would define Hatch’s distinct look—bold typography and clear messaging, rendered with hand-carved wooden block and metal type and printed using a mechanical press.
By 1920, Charles’ son William moved the shop near the Ryman Auditorium, receiving tour poster commissions from their many performers, such as Bessie Smith, Hank Williams, and Duke Ellington. However, by the mid-20th century, Hatch struggled as offset printing and digital technologies took over the market. After several ownership changes, Gaylord Entertainment purchased the shop, eventually donating it to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992, sparking Hatch’s rebirth.
Much of this revival is credited to Jim Sherraden, who began working at Hatch in 1984. As an apprentice, Sherraden combined his artistic training with the shop’s historic materials, creating monoprints and modern imagery that complemented Hatch’s design legacy. In 2015, The Country Music Hall of Fame tasked him to collaborate with artist and musician Jon Langford, a founding member of the punk band The Mekons. The men continue to work together on compositions, with Sherraden contributing the complex, hand-cut woodblock designs and coloring and Langford decorating the surface with line drawings. Sherraden retired from the print floor in 2016, passing the legacy to Celene Aubry, who continues to preserve the Hatch Show Print tradition.
Discover the world of letterpress in Carved & Crafted! Along with stunning works by Jim Sherraden, Jon Langford, and Hatch Show Print, you’ll also experience an interactive print area. Explore the artistry behind this centuries-old craft and see many iconic posters up close in this exhibition at the LSU Museum of Art.
The LSU Museum of Art thanks artwork lenders: Hatch Show Print and LeMieux Galleries of New Orleans. Special thanks to LSU College Art + Design Assistant Professor Lauren Cardenás and her printmaking class for creating prints that will also be on view in this exhibition.
EXHIBITION PROGRAMS
ABOUT LSU MUSEUM OF ART
LSU Museum of Art is supported by a grant from the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, funded by the East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President & Metro Council; and in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. LSUMOA thanks the generous donors to the Annual Fund. Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program. Free Friday Nights is sponsored by the Louisiana Lottery Corporation. Additional support is provided by generous donors to the LSU Museum of Art Annual Exhibition Fund.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The museum is located in downtown Baton Rouge at 100 Lafayette Street on the Fifth Floor of the Shaw Center for the Arts. General admission is $5 each for adults and children age 13 and over. Admission is free to university faculty and students with ID, children age 12 and under, and museum members. Active-duty military and veterans, first responders, and their families receive free admission with ID as part of the Blue Star Museums program. Show your EBT card and photo ID at the admissions desk and receive free admission for up to 4 individuals as part of the Museums for All initiative. Museum Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday 1-5 p.m.; and closed on Mondays and major holidays. Free admission occurs on the first Sunday of each month. For more information: visit www.lsumoa.org, call 225-578-3000, and follow the museum on social media @lsumoa for exhibition and program updates.
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