es150415 Martha
Stewart of Printmaking:
Vision of printmaking TV
He has thought of doing a printmaking show on TV for four decades—ever
since he introduced “how-to” videotapes in college teaching. Household names
like Julia Childs, Martha Stewart and Bob Ross come to mind as he takes steps
to make his vision a reality.
My email to KCTS “Viewer Services”
“We watch Create cooking, woodworking, gardening, travel and
other lifestyle shows, and occasionally a special on art on KCTS-9. As I have
been a printmaker for 50 years – 19 of those years as a professor at the UW art
school – it is understandable that I think a printmaking show on TV is a good
idea.
I tell people I want to be the Martha Stewart of
printmaking. People tell me that, with over a hundred “how to” videos on YouTube,
I should think Broadcast TV is dying, but I disagree – strongly!
Any good teacher should be pursuing broadcast TV if he or
she wants to the world a good turn in arts and culture.
That’s why I am looking for production companies that would
like to tackle the project of Printmaking TV.
Please connect me with a company, organization or individual
whom you, who are reading this, is a possibility.”
I sent this email to Channel 9’s “View Services” after having stopped in at
KCTS’ building to deliver a promotion for Arts and Culture in our neighborhood,
Uptown. The receptionist gave me the email address after I explained I was also
promoting Printmaking on TV, and needed to find contacts—people who could join with
me in a search for funding.
Why Martha Stewart?
People ask me, “Why not Bob Ross?” He is famous for “Joy of Painting” and
the comparison is a good one insofar he provided a line of painting supplies as
well as the lessons for painting. Martha Stewart, however, is my preferred model
because in addition to the entrepreneurial element of selling supplies for what
she demonstrates on TV, she exploited a range of productions from magazines to
lifestyle.
Julie Childs, too, is remarkable for the personality she brought to her
shows, and the focus on French Cooking which gave her viewers very specific
information. Stewart is all over the place, and Ross—albeit focused on painting—only
showed his own style and art philosophy.
The comparison with these stars of the TV how-to genre with what I do—traditional
printmaking—is valid because, one, I am a printmaking expert and, two, I have a
product line of personal-sized etching presses. Add to that my commitment to a
printmaking philosophy of a greater range than usually found in textbooks and
YouTube videos, and you have a formula for certain success.
Back story
Add to the three factors above—the fourth factor is the context of the
Seattle Printmakers Center concept I work on today. The TV show will be
produced in the facilities of the Center, including training in videography
that is related to other new technologies such as digital magazines.
It’s a huge idea and it is part of my goal to create jobs for people who
love printmaking, prints, and printmakers, and who want to use the power of TV
for education and entertainment.
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