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This fall, Dr. Sue Steuer collaborated with the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center (KBAC) to bring Ben Blount, a Detroit-born artist, designer and letterpress printer, to Kalamazoo for workshops and events. The KBAC and the University Libraries’ Zhang Legacy Collections Center hosted exhibits featuring Blount’s artwork for the community.

In October, Blount delivered a lecture, “Present Perfect: An Ongoing Print Practice,” at the Zhang, sharing his artistic process and the many influences on his work and life. Blount’s work explores race and identity and stories about living in America. 

“It’s always a great idea for us to collaborate with our community partners to bring in people who are inspirational and speak to the potential of education for our students,” says Steuer, distinctive collections librarian. “It gives them some options and ideas that are different than what they might get in the classroom.”

Blount also led several workshops at the KBAC, including sessions for print media majors from Western’s Frostic School of Art and local middle and high school students. Blount’s hands-on workshops and demonstrations allowed students to explore print media and use a letterpress, which is a far different experience than tapping on a phone or keyboard.

Showcasing the artistic and educational value of ink on paper and the physical creation of the written word aligns well with our special collections focus.  

“The focus of special collections is on the physical object and the history of the physical object as a form of communication. That’s one aspect of what we do in addition to things about content,” says Steuer.