jimspenceart is an art website that showcases the artwork of printmaker/painter, Jim Spence. He earned a B.F.A. degree in painting and printmaking from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in 1989. He earned his M.F.A. degree in printmaking from Utah State University in 1992.
While attending Utah State, Jim served as the last technical assistant for internationally known printmaker Moishe Smith. He also served as the technical assistant for a variety of visiting artist workshops. Most noteworthy of these were the woodcut artists Sid Chafetz, Karen Kunc, and Carol Summers.
Under Moishe Smith’s strict guidance, Jim was immersed in the traditions and techniques of Intaglio, Lithography, Woodcut, and Monotype printmaking.
“The time I spent with Moishe Smith was the most important and profound experience of my life,” says Jim Spence. “Unlike most university printmaking programs, Smith would only accept one graduate student at a time, and would closely tutor that chosen student, in a more European tradition. He worked with me in a Master/ Apprentice relationship. We spent long hours together, handgrinding inks, and cooking a variety of hard and soft intaglio grounds. Many of the recipes we used came from Smith’s mentors Mauricio Lasansky and Giorgio Morandi. Others were our own variations. At times, it was like an intensive study in the culinary arts.”
Moishe Smith died in July of 1993, and Utah State University invited Jim to serve as the visiting Assistant Professor of Printmaking for two years. “It was with mixed emotions that I accepted the position,” says Jim Spence. “Several reassuring calls from Moishe’s widow and my own desire to give something back to the school where I had learned so much convinced me to return.”
“I feel the two years I spent teaching were an invaluable part of my development as a printmaker. Above all, I was determined to pass on the valuable traditions Moishe Smith had instilled in me. Among these were a feel for the materials gained through traditional fundamentals, the desire to pursue excellence in craftsmanship, and a pride in one’s chosen art. With the assistance of a supportive department head and staff, I feel I achieved all the goals I had set for myself. The student had come full circle.”
Jim has dedicated his efforts to the field of special education for the past 26 years. He has been an advocate and friend for folks with developmental disabilities. He has helped many people to integrate and be included in their communities. He has also worked as a mentor artist and instructor for artists with developmental disabilities from Navajo, Hopi, Apache, and Pueblo tribes throughout New Mexico and Arizona.
