Shakespeare Press Museum
As head curator of a working museum, education, designing, organization, and event planning are pivotal to operation.
But what is the Shakespeare Press Museum? The Shakespeare Press Museum houses a collection of vintage and antique letter and hand presses that range from the 1850s through the 1950s. It is also a working museum which means that every press is operational and gets used during and for museum hosted events, special events, student projects, and more.
Being head curator means that it is my job to educate people on the history of the museum, presses, and printing. As well as teach people how to hand set type and use the presses. I organize museum hosted events, coordinate tours, and host special events in the museum. It is also my responsibility to managing and run the museum daily by coordinating with volunteers and professors.
Cal Poly specific events are run throughout the year, like for Open House, Club showcase, and Mustang Family Weekend. These events allow for prospective students to learn more about what the university and the Graphic Communication department has to offer and educate visitors on what we do.
Designed cards, set type, set up presses, marketed, and organized Earth Day printing event. This was the first event I planned alone as a new curator.
Working and communicating with museum patrons to organize and host special events. Recently worked with Cal Poly SLO's APIDA Faculty Staff Association and University Housing to have their own hands on experiences.
Prop poster created for Cal Poly's production of "Mr. Burns, a Post Electric Play". Director and Assistant Dean to the College of Liberal Arts, Josh Machamer, hired the museum to create posters in order to be authentic to the setting, a world without electricity.
Holidays events are organized throughout every quarter. From Valentines Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Mother's Day, and more, every event is planned and each print is specially hand set.
Volunteering with the museum at the LA Printer's Fair hosted at the International Print Museum. Between 2022 and 2024, myself and others involved with the Press Museum worked the fair as expert volunteers to instruct people on how different press were used over the last 550 years of printing history.