June Wayne - Tamarind Lithography Workshop

Tamarind Lithography Workshop

When Wayne met with Lowry in the late 1950s, she expressed her frustration about having to go to Europe to find collaborators for her lithography projects and Lowry suggested that she submit a proposal to the Ford Foundation seeking money to revitalize lithography in the U.S. With the foundation's assistance, Wayne opened the Tamarind Lithography Workshop (named for its street location in Hollywood), in 1960. Wayne acted as director, supported by the painter and printmaker Clinton Adams in the role of associate director and Garo Antreasian in the role of master printer and technical director.

Artists were invited to do short residencies at Tamarind, when they would work with master printers to produce lithographs. Some artists, like Tamarind's first artist-in-residence, Romas Viesulas, already had experience as print makers, while others who came to Tamarind, such as Richard Diebenkorn, Sam Francis, Rufino Tamayo, Louise Nevelson, Philip Guston and Joseph and Anni Albers had worked primarily in other media.

In 1970, Wayne resigned as director and the workshop moved to the University of New Mexico where, as the Tamarind Institute, it continues today.