Today we’d like to introduce you to John Greco.
Thanks for sharing your story with us John. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I moved to LA in 1983 for the purpose of advancing my career as an artist and printmaker. After arriving, I realized that there was no established printmaking studio that an artist could walk in off the street and make prints. To fill that void, I opened Josephine Press, a fully equipped printmaking facility offering custom edition printmaking, platemaking, instruction, and workshops for the professional artist.
As a working artist myself, I balance teaching, artmaking, and running the studio and gallery in my day to day.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s a continuous struggle to make ends meet. In the end, keeping the studio alive has been a labor of love rather than profit. We fill in the gaps by helping other artists and schools buy and sell printmaking equipment, and setting up printmaking studios.
Finding the time to make my own art is something I have to constantly work at and on occasion fight for.
I initially set up Josephine Press out of necessity, because I needed a place to make my own work where none existed. Over time it’s become more about assisting other artists to created artwork rather than my own.
Josephine Press – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Josephine Press was designed to provide a center where both established and emerging artists could learn printmaking techniques and have a place to work at a reasonable price. Within the same building, Josephine Press and the affiliated Christopher John Gallery are deeply rooted in the Los Angeles community making the rich heritage of the printmaking tradition available to artists and the public.
We’ve worked with thousands of artists. Published unique artworks and folios. We continue to assist the Josephine Press artists to create excellent artworks and expand their knowledge of artmaking and printmaking.
In 1989, I opened Christopher John Gallery to represent and exhibit the works of innovative artists and printmakers.
We’re proud to have worked with many noteworthy artists to conceive and create their art through a collaborative process. We offer printmaking workshops in several techniques throughout the year.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is not about money. The friends you make and the personal satisfaction of creating artworks for myself and others. When a day is finished, to go to bed tired, having worked hard on that which you’ve devoted yourself to, and to awaken the next day looking forward to creating more artwork.
Pricing:
- Our workshops range from $25 to $350 per day
- Artworks for sale range from $50 to $5,000. We have something for every budget.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2928 Santa Monica Blvd.,
Santa Monica, CA 90404 - Website: josephinepress.com
- Phone: (310) 453-1691
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @pressjosephine
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephinePress
Image Credit:
John Greco
Camilla Taylor
Ingrid Manzano Stein
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