Crowing Hens Bindery on NPT: Tennessee Crossroads visits the bindery

Hey Ma! I’m on TV!

It’s true! The locally and regionally syndicated show Tennessee Crossroads has been on my TV since 1987. I grew up watching this show, it’s been on for more than 3o years now! Never did I ever think I’d be on TV, much less featured in a show that highlights local and regional artists, craftsmen, and small businesses like mine.

As host Joe Elmore puts it, “Tennessee Crossroads travels the highways and byways of Tennessee, highlighting the personalities, crafts, places, foods and events that make Tennessee unique.” I couldn’t think of a higher compliment than for me and my one-woman business to be considered a part of this Tennessee tradition.

Producer Rob Wilds spent some time with me in the bindery earlier this year to talk about my love of books, small business entrepreneurship, and my passion for the trade of stationery bookbinding. I’ll be featured alongside Juicy’s Wellness Cafe, The Smyrna Flying Aces, and Clay Illustrator Susan Eaddy.

The episode will air on Nashville Public Television this Thursday, March 28th at 7:00pm CST and Sunday March 31, 10:00am CST. Check your local PBS listings to see when the episode will air in your area!

You can find your local PBS station here: https://www.pbs.org/

And if Tennessee Crossroads isn’t showing in your region, you’ll be able to access my clip here or on tennesseecrossroads.org and their youtube page.

While you’re there, consider supporting your local PBS station by making a donation! Support like yours and mine helps to fund local and regional shows like Tennessee Crossroads and their passion to highlight small business owners like yours truly!

January 6-March 1, 2017: "HATCH-ed"

HATCH-ed Print Show at the Belcourt Theatre brings together print works from former Hatch Show Print designers and printers Jim Sherraden, Julie Sola of Fat Crow Press, Mary Louise Sullivan of Crowing Hens Bindery, and Bryce McCloud of Isle of Printing. Jason Brown is the guest curator of HATCH-ed. 

A reception and featured lecture by Jim Sherraden will be announced soon. All works are for sale.

The show is featured on the 2nd floor of the newly renovated Belcourt Theatre in Hillsboro Village. 2102 Belcourt Avenue
Nashville, TN 37212

For more information about the featured artists and their works, visit: http://www.belcourt.org/about/gallery and be sure to check out current featured films and showtime listings and make a night of it! A wonderful writeup in the Nashville Arts Magazine also discusses the significance of the work of the selected artists.

MAY 2, 2015: SUMINAGASHI AND BOOKBINDING WORKSHOPS AT SAWTOOTH PRINT SHOP

To kick off the month of May I will be exhibiting work at Sawtooth Printshop, a full service letterpress print shop in East Nashville run by two Hatch Show Print alumni Nieves Uhl and Chris Cheney. In conjunction with my show, "Print, Paint, Fold, Bind" I'll also be teaching two workshops on Saturday May 2nd. The morning workshop will cover Suminagashi (Japanese paper marbling) and the afternoon workshop will be an introduction to bookbinding where we will explore two non-adhesive binding structures. Sign up for one workshop for $60 or both for a discounted rate of $110. Materials and tools will be provided. No experience is necessary. Spots are limited so reserve yours today!

Register for the Suminagashi workshop or the  Intro to Bookbinding workshop. If you are interested in taking advantage of both workshops, be sure to purchase both tickets.

March 2015: Sullivan is March artist-in-residence at Maryville College

In March of this year I was invited to be the artist-in-residence at my alma mater, Maryville College in Maryville, TN. Over the course of a week I lectured, gave interviews, and taught workshops in bookbinding and letterpress printing on an antique press that was donated to the college a few years ago. I also showed my current collection of products and prototypes during the month of March at the Clayton Center for the Arts Blackberry Farm Gallery.

Check out the College's rare Kelsey Excelsior press!

November 2014: Bookbinding workshops at 2014 Hamilton Wayzgoose

This November, the historic Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum in Two Rivers, WI will host their greatly anticipated annual Wayzgoose Type Conference for letterpress printers, typographers, bookbinders, and artists from around the world. This year is special because the conference will be hosted for the first time in their new location since the big move last year. Each year, the folks at Hamilton schedule workshops, lectures, and panels, including one that focuses on Book Arts. I was fortunate to have been asked be the "bookbinding ambassador" and teach two bookbinding workshops during the conference. I'm also excited because I'll be attending Wayzgoose for the first time, I can't wait! 

Spaces are limited, so reserve your spot today!

October 2014: Art by two MC alumni on display at Clayton Center

In honor of this year's Homecoming festivities at Maryville College, I was invited to show some of my current work at the Clayton Center for the Arts Blackberry Farm Gallery alongside '04 Fine Arts alumna, Erica Beck of Stag & Lucia. My show, "Works in Progress and Production" contained prototypes, linoleum blocks, and decorative papers from my MFA thesis show as well as newer prototypes and products that are for sale online.