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Summer 2008 • Volume 14, Issue 3

Coming up roses:Keepsakes mark campaign kickoff

by KAREN CROWLEY METZINGER MA ’97
photos by Duane Zehr

The printing press at the Heuser Art Center’s 18-year-old Cradle Oak Press facility operated in high gear during the month of April in preparation for the kickoff of the Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance. Although traditional engraving originated in 15th century Europe, the art form is alive and thriving in the art department. Thanks to the collaboration between Paul Krainak, chair of the art department, and Oscar Gillespie, professor of art and founding coordinator/printer for the printing press facility, guests at the Red Tie Gala held at the Peoria Civic Center on April 24 took home a signed, limited-edition work of art to commemorate the campaign.

It all began with a charge given to two gifted artists: Create a keepsake engraving unique to the Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance. They consulted with the campaign committee and began working on concepts. “We looked for a symbol,” Gillespie said. “We looked at the gargoyle; we looked at an earlier print of a solitary rose and several other ideas. We wanted everyone to be happy with our work and to display it, and that’s when we decided to focus on the bouquet or ball of roses design.”

The campaign keepsake is a fitting tribute to Lydia Moss Bradley, whose love of red roses made her profuse rose garden the pride of her Moss Avenue home.

Krainak drew the rose design from a bouquet provided by a local florist. “This design feels like a sphere, not just a bouquet,” he noted. “When you look at this piece, it ‘becomes’ roses. The roses appear to be in a growing stage, representing the vitality and potential of Bradley’s future. The bouquet also functions as a globe, making reference to the University’s educational mission that conceptually embraces the entire planet.” An Illinois native, Krainak joined the art faculty two years ago after 21 years at West Virginia University.

Gillespie, who has taught art at Bradley for 22 years and has been a visiting artist at more than 25 art schools nationwide, started printmaking in 1972 because he enjoyed the artistic process more than other art mediums. He said engraving, especially on a circular piece of copper, is challenging. “It’s hard on your hands and shoulders. It requires strength and the ability to create intricate, delicate designs.” Gillespie acknowledged copper was a much better choice than zinc for a project involving 600 prints because it is a more durable metal.

“The copper circle concept lends itself to a medallion idea,” added Gillespie. “I looked at the design drawn by Paul and started engraving. I like the raw look of engraving with my $12 burin instead of using a template.”

Since the finished product was a line print of the roses, Gillespie was not concerned about using true Bradley red. His goal was to make the lines pop by contrasting the ink against the copper. “The deeper red I chose is as close to Bradley red as I could use for this process.” Printing 600 pieces for the event required two pounds of ink and spanned seven 12-hour days. Each work of art was printed on a piece of 100 percent cotton rag paper made by a mill in France that has been making it for 300 years. Under Gillespie’s guidance, ROBYN ROGNSTAD MFA ’10 and JERRY PHILLIPS MFA ’10, both candidates in printmaking, helped with the time-consuming printing process.