The Arts & Crafts Press was founded by Bruce Smith & Yoshiko Yamamoto. They are a small publishing house producing books and other works of interest to those concerned with the Arts and Crafts movement. All the publications of The Arts and Crafts Press are letterpress printed and bound by hand. The Press also produces greeting cards and artworks that are letterpress printed from hand cut blocks inspired by the turn-of-the-century movement.
I have met Bruce and Yoshiko and have been a fan (and an occasional customer) of their work for years. They make beautiful cards, prints, etc. that never cease to draw me in.
To raise funds needed for sending urgent medical care and other supplies to the Japanese victims, Yoshiko has decided to donate a new block print for the relief effort. It's a seascape of "Matsushima Bay," just northeast of Sendai along the coastline hit by the tsunami.
ALL of the proceed from this Matsushima print ($30/print) will go towards a volunteer organization called Empact Northwest (www.empactnorthwest.org) that is at this moment in Japan working to provide medical relief in the Sendai area. In addition, if you frame your Matsushima Bay print at The Framer's Workshop, they will donate 20% of the framing price to Empact Northwest.
And let us all hope that the Tohoku region will again become safe, vibrant and beautiful, as conveyed within this small print that I just purchased. read more