September 3, 2025
MCLA Professor of Art Melanie Mowinski, founder of PRESS: LetterPRESS as a Public Art Project, has been honored with the Guild of Book Workers Mid-Career Award, a newly established national recognition celebrating excellence in the book arts and printmaking field. Mowinski is among the first recipients of this prestigious award from the Guild of Book Workers (GBW), one of the leading professional organizations in book arts and printmaking.
Central to Mowinski's artistic practice is a philosophy she describes simply yet powerfully: "I want to die lightly — but more importantly, I want to live lightly." This commitment to sustainable creation drives her innovative approach to art-making, where she works almost exclusively with repurposed materials rather than purchasing new supplies. "In a world where convenience and consumption rule, living lightly can be difficult," Mowinski explains. "As an artist and educator, I actively resist that tide."
Her work transforms the overlooked and discarded into meaningful art. Materials in
her pieces have included paper made from her own 50-year-old baby diapers, fused plastic
bags, discarded cords, acupuncture tubes, old clothes, and various studio scraps —
all given new life through her creative vision.
Mowinski's sustainable practice was shaped during her graduate studies at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she studied under renowned book artist Hedi Kyle. As Kyle's teaching assistant, Mowinski was introduced to the concept of "Plunder Books," a generative process involving the creation of books from found materials. "This playful constraint radically expanded my understanding of what a book can be," Mowinski reflects. "It honed my structural skills, deepened my relationship to the form, and reinforced the beauty and meaning embedded in forgotten things." Since then, she has shared this transformative approach with hundreds of students and workshop participants across multiple states and internationally.
When asked about receiving this prestigious recognition, Mowinski's response reflects both surprise and the reality of an artist's journey: "I was shocked when I read the email. I apply for so many things, and get lots and lots of rejections." She almost didn't apply for the award at all, thinking "I will never get that. There are so many people whose work is better than mine." It was her accountability partner, a fellow artist, who inspired her to apply. The experience reinforced a lesson she frequently shares with her students: "I tell my students all the time to apply! You never know. So much of life is about showing up."
For Mowinski, the award represents more than recognition of her physical artwork. "I see this award as a celebration of not just the physical work that I make, but the communities that I have created and impacted: PRESS: LetterPRESS as a Public Art Project and the ripple effects from that, ‘Women Walking to Water,’ and my work here at MCLA." Perhaps most meaningfully, the recognition validates an aspect of her practice that sometimes feels unconventional: "It also feels like a validation for what I often think is a weird part of my art practice: picking up trash, repurposing plastic, thinking about my impact on the earth."
As part of the recognition, Mowinski will attend the annual Standards conference in October, where she's particularly excited to meet Gary Frost and participate in the Amana Studio visit. She hopes to develop new techniques for creating strong paper from recycled materials, continuing her commitment to sustainable art-making that challenges conventional practices while creating meaningful, beautiful work.
About MCLA
At MCLA, we are here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught by educators who care deeply about teaching and about seeing their students thrive. In every way possible, the MCLA experience is designed to elevate students as individuals, leaders and communicators, fully empowered to make their mark on the world. In addition to its 130-year commitment to public education, MCLA has strengthened its dedication to equitable academic excellence. The college has appeared on U.S. News & World Report’s list of Top Ten Public Colleges for 10 consecutive years, earning the No. 6 spot on the list of Top Public Liberal Arts Schools in the nation for 2025, after holding the No. 7 spot for the prior three years. MCLA’s focus on affordable education and economic prosperity is reflected in additional 2025 U.S. News rankings: No. 5 among Top Performers on Social Mobility for liberal arts colleges in Massachusetts and No. 2 among Top Performers on Social Mobility for public liberal arts colleges in the nation. These rankings measure how well schools graduate students who receive federal Pell Grants.
