Tamarind Institute

Since the 1960’s Tamarind has been a place where lithography lives.

Above: Tamarind Institute, University of New Mexico Photograph by Robert Reck, courtesy DNCA Architects.

36 HENNI ALFTAN AT TAMARIND INSTITUTE

INSTITUTETAMARIND

When Tamarind opened our doors in the summer of 1960 on Tamarind Ave in Los Angeles, fine art lithography in the United States was thought to be on its last legs. It was practiced by few printmakers and taught sporadically in graphic arts departments. While our founder June Wayne was said to be bringing back a “lost world” through Tamarind Lithography Workshop, she was actually creating a new one. Tamarind’s start—under her leadership and that of co-founders Clinton Adams and Garo Antreasian—launched a new era in collaborative printmaking. In the Hollywood workshop during our first decade, Tamarind collaborated with artists like Josef Albers, Ruth Asawa, Louise Nevelson, and Ed Ruscha, while also developing extensive documentation and an educational program that would guarantee the future of lithography in the United States and abroad. Today, Tamarind Institute is widely credited with revitalizing fine art lithography. Our state-of-the-art facility—home to a professional workshop, gallery, and educational institute—is now located along Route 66 in Albuquerque in affiliation with the College of Fine Arts at The University of New Mexico. We house an extensive archive of historic material and a vast print inventory of more than 8,000 lithographs that our team of highly trained printers, curators, and print experts share with collectors and the print community. Tamarind’s publications and technical resources are found wherever printmaking is taught and our extensive network of alumni are at the helm of workshops and art departments all over the world.

Our legacy is in the hands of decades of talented printers, artists, educators, directors, and staff. To mention only a few highlights of the workshop’s six decades: June Wayne (Director 1960-1970) tenaciously began Tamarind Lithography Workshop with support from the Ford Foundation; Clinton Adams (Director 19701985) established Tamarind as a research center and archive based at The University of New Mexico; and Marjorie Devon (Director Emerita 1985-2015) expanded Tamarind’s presence internationally, cultivating an exceptionally diverse artist program. Upon her retirement, Tamarind established an educational scholarship in her name to honor her service. Today, the Tamarind team is led by Director Diana Gaston, alongside Tamarind Master Printer and Workshop Manager Valpuri Remling, and Director of Education Brandon Gunn, who continue to advance lithography and engage a new generation of artists and artisan printers.

2021 FREDERICK HAMMERSLEY ARTIST RESIDENCY 37