October 20, 2004

UCSD Libraries Will Host “Ninja Press At Twenty” Exhibit

By Paul K. Mueller

One of California’s most distinguished private presses, the Ninja Press, is being honored by an exhibit at the University of California, San Diego. Titled “The Ninja Press at Twenty,” the exhibit is sponsored by the Mandeville Special Collections Library and will run through December 10 at UCSD’s Geisel Library.

Carolee Campbell, artist and proprietor of the Ninja Press, will be honored at a reception from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 24, in the Geisel Library. Campbell will speak about her work at 4:45 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

The exhibit at Geisel Library is the second of three displays of the retrospective. “Ninja Press at Twenty” was initially showcased at The William Andrews Clark Memorial Library in Los Angeles, and will conclude its run at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

First launched by Campbell in 1984, the Ninja Press is one of California’s most distinguished private presses. The UCSD exhibit includes all materials published by the press from its beginning to the present. Every item on display was handset, printed and bound by Campbell herself.

Campbell gained interest in bookmaking from her experience in photography. Initially binding photographic sequences into books, she found herself dabbling in the area of letterpress printing, with a focus on contemporary poetry.

Lynda Claassen, Director of the Mandeville Special Collections at Geisel Library, said the exhibit will interest all those who appreciate the quality and artisanship of private presses. “The Ninja Press at Twenty exhibit reminds us of the vital work being done by the smaller, independent presses,” she said. “Carolee Campbell’s vision and creative spirit are present in every work.”

Geisel Library is located at the north end of UCSD’s campus, next to Price Center. Directions to the library.

Media Contact: Paul K. Mueller, (858) 534-8564