After spending over 25 years putting down roots in a state-owned building on South Dickinson Street, the UW's Tandem Press received word that its digs were being sold. This was a few months ago, which meant moving approximately 8,000 prints in a very short time period.
Director Paula Panczenko was daunted but didn't wilt under pressure.
"I imagined myself on the crest of a wave," she says, "with the entire university behind me offering help."
The UW helped Panczenko's team find a new home for the press on Commercial Avenue. At more than 9,000 square feet, it has enough room for printing, art displays, offices and classrooms.
Last weekend, Tandem hosted a moving sale to lighten their load and raise money for the trip. Hundreds of people lined up on Saturday morning to scope out prints from Richard Bosman, Robert Cottingham, David Lynch, Judy Pfaff and other notable artists.
The move is the beginning of an exciting trajectory for the press.
"We are planning to move onto campus in three years, which will be huge for us," Panczenko says. "Being on campus will enable us to reach out to the existing Madison community while attracting more students and visiting alumni to our programming."
The three-year layover on Commercial Avenue shouldn't slow Tandem down. With artists such as T.L. Solien, Cameron Martin, José Lerma, Sam Gilliam and Suzanne Caporael hard at work, and a team of dedicated students observing them, the press is poised to make a mark.
