Porridge Papers founder Christopher James in the newly redesigned shop
Porridge Papers is a papermill, letterpress studio and nicely curated retail shop. I don’t know if I can still call the enterprise a brainchild, since Porridge Papers celebrated its 16th birthday two years ago. Samantha McCullough and founder Christopher James specialize in making paper with plantable seeds in it. Felt & Wire will take our readers on a very insider tour of Porridge Papers in an upcoming feature … but today we focus on this coming Saturday’s pulp ’n’ lead fest. Guess who the guest of honor will be?
Kyle Durrie of Power & Light Press, from Portland, Ore., is driving her type truck to Lincoln. She funded Moveable Type — her fully functional letterpress print shop built into the back of a converted 1982 Chevy step van — on Kickstarter (raising more than twice her goal). Porridge Papers is gifting Moveable Type a colorful supply of their handmade paper to take on the road with her. At the party, Durrie will, of course, be printing curbside. (She sets a unique piece to print at each “truckstop.”)
Jill Rizzo’s prints will be a deluxe door prize. Now owl be even sorrier to miss the party.
I asked James whether there would be fun and games. He replied, “Well, every hour on the hour, we will have a drawing for door prizes, including a set of limited-edition owl prints from local designer Jill Rizzo, and cards and journals made at Porridge Papers … and, of course, some of our handmade paper. All of the money from the raffle tickets will also go to Kyle to fund her trip in the truck.”
But wait, for pulp’s sake, there’s more in store! James continues, “We will also have a pulp hunt! Kids get to dive — well, put their hands and arms — into a trough of paper pulp and search for handmade prizes. For adults, we will have a type hunt. They will get to search through all of our drawers of type to find free gifts.”
Local screenprinter Jason Davis of Screen Ink will silkscreen T-shirts right at the party. Guests can buy a shirt designed by Porridge Press to commemorate Moveable Type’s stop in Lincoln. T-shirt sales will fund subsequent stops on Moveable Type’s wild ride around the country. Yes, the T-shirt’s dashing design features a map — and a tasteful list of the evening’s local sponsors. Yiayia’s Pizza is providing pies; Kristin Rozsa of thé Cup is contributing cupcakes; and microbrewery Modern Monks is pouring liquid refreshment.
Join the crème de la creative crème at the Porridge Papers party. Say yea or yay on Facebook.
Newest fan: Alyson Kuhn chats with Christopher James.
Photos: Type on press and Owl, Christopher James. All others, Julie Salestrom, Omaha and Lincoln tour guide extraordinaire.
