San Francisco Center for the Book

SFCB is thrilled to welcome visiting instructor Sarah Matthews.

Step into the world of wood type and discover how letters can become both language and art.

In this one-day intensive, you’ll dive into SFCB’s rich type collection to explore playful approaches to composition, pattern, and layering. Through inking, overprinting, and color mixing, you’ll transform type into texture and design — then print a final quote or saying that stands boldly atop your layered background.

Perfect for beginners and returning printers alike, this workshop celebrates the joy of process, discovery, and the expressive potential of type.

The available scholarships for this workshop have been awarded.

Prerequisite:

None

Tools/Materials to bring:
None. All tools and materials are provided. Students should wear comfortable clothes (layers!) and shoes. 

About the Instructor:
Sarah Matthews' work reflects her commitment to exploring the complex issues of race, equality, and gender, while shedding light on social injustice. Through her layered prints and artist books, she documents the struggles of breaking through societal barriers. As an African-American, Mrs. Matthews has experienced firsthand the impact of negative media images that portray her community as inferior. Through her art, she aims to challenge these stereotypes and empower her audience to recognize the beauty, intelligence, and importance of all individuals, regardless of race.

Sarah Matthews is a highly skilled printmaker and book artist with a background in art and business. She holds an MA in Art & the Book from the Corcoran College of Arts and Design at George Washington University, an MBA with a Marketing Concentration, and a BS in Sociology from Bowie State University. Her works have been exhibited internationally and are part of prestigious collections at institutions such as the National Museum of African American History & Culture Library, Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, George Washington University’s Gelman Library, University of Puget Sound, and Samford University. Mrs. Matthews is also a dedicated educator, teaching Artist Books at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and bookbinding and printmaking classes at various art centers and platforms.