Current Exhibition

The Artistry of Mallette Dean: A Selection from the Sperisen Library

Mallette Dean was a prolific artist whose skill in illustration was matched by his ability to tailor his artistic style to the individual project. This exhibit features illustrations executed for the Grabhorn Press, the Colt Press, and the Allen Press, along with books he designed and printed himself, including several done for the Book Club of California, all complemented by scarce ephemera and original woodcut blocks. Materials were chosen from the Sperisen Library to showcase the mastery and breadth of Dean’s work and to offer a look at some original images used in the Book Club’s 237th publication, Mallette Dean: a Printmaker and His Art.

Mallette Dean: a Printmaker and His Art is a foundational bibliography and an important chapter in the history of printing in the West. This publication, which includes more than 625 entries and 200 illustrations, records Mallette Dean’s creative work from his prints and paintings to the books he illustrated and printed. Regular edition and deluxe edition copies are available for purchase at the Book Club during the exhibition.

On view May 6 – August 12, 2019.