LETTERPRESS NOW
The James Pearson Duffy Department of Art and Art History was pleased to present Letterpress Now at the Art Department Gallery, January 10 through February 7, 2020. The opening reception was be held on Friday, January 10, 5-8PM.
Art, Science, and Letterpress Typography Come Together
A visual interpretation of seven scientific theories and of the convergence of the arts, humanities, and science will be on exhibit at Wayne State University. In Letterpress Now, Professor of Art Judith Moldenhauer brings together her interest in the visualization of scientific information and expressive typography to create a suite of folios and posters. Moldenhauer used handset metal type, computer-generated type, and wood engravings to produce the designs and printed them on a newly renovated letterpress at the university.
Letterpress Now is a capstone exhibition of works by Judith Moldenhauer, 2018-19 recipient of the annual Murray E. Jackson Creative Scholar in the Arts award, a presidential initiative that provides a full-time WSU faculty member with time and support to engage in creative activity and to serve as an artistic and creative resource to the campus. Support for her work in this exhibition was also provided by a 2018-19 WSU Humanities Center Faculty Fellowship.
Judith A. Moldenhauer
Judith A. Moldenhauer is Professor of Art, Graphic Design, in the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art and Art History at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
The current WSU Graphic Design program was established under Prof. Moldenhauer’s direction in 1992 and she served as its Area Coordinator for 20 years. At WSU, she has served as both Graduate Officer and Undergraduate Officer for the Department of Art and Art History. She was Interim Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Research in the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts in 2011-15 and served as CFPCA Assessment Coordinator 2014-18 and 2019-present. She has chaired and/or been a member of many University, College, and Department committees.
Her research and work focuseson user-centered health care information design and the visualization of scientific information. She has authored several publications and made presentations at many national and international conferences. Her projects have included the development of educational materials for Healthy Start (a U.S. government program to reduce high infant mortality) and print/ digital materials for doulas to help women identify and seek help for postpartum depression. She was the WSU PI for two U.S. Department of Education FIPSE grants (domestic and international) and was co-investigator on several grants including the 5-year NIH grant for the WSU BEST (Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training) program and a grant to examine asthma in Detroit teens. Her awards include being named a 2006/2007 Fulbright scholar to Sweden and a Life Fellow of the Communication Research Institute (Australia). She also has a background in letterpress typography and in 2018-19 received the WSU Murray Jackson Creative Scholar in the Arts Award to restore a letterpress and create a series of folios, posters, and wood engravings interpreting several scientific theories and ideas.
She served as co-chair of Information Design Education for the International Institute for Information Design, was a board member of the Michigan chapter of the Fulbright Association, and is a member of several other professional organizations including AIGA, University and College Designers Association, Design Research Society, College Art Association, Wood Engravers Network, and Ladies of Letterpress.
Prof. Moldenhauer received a MFA from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, a MA from Stanford University and a BFA with highest honors from the University of Illinois – Urbana.
