Lisa Hersey
Written by: Taylor Doherty
Lisa Hersey works for Antler editions print shops and bookbindery in Holyoke, MA. Originally, she is from Agawam MA and attended Montserrat College of art in Beverly MA, graduating in 2012. At first, she wanted to be a painter. However, she took a bookbinding class and fell in love with it. Lisa heard about cheap space in Holyoke and ended up visiting the city and liking it. The space she found is shared by others, including Brick Co., but people have their own space to work. Deciding to pursue what she loved, she chose to move to Easthampton so that she could begin her career in Holyoke. She began at Antler Editions, which uses letterpress and screen-printing to create posters, books, packaging, business cards, and more. Interestingly, they can also bind your independently published artist books, thesis, zines, journals, and poetry.
A Little About Lisa & The Studio:
At the start, she was a bit shy when she first moved into the workshop because everyone already knew each other. However, she came to realize that everyone was helping each other out, as they all have different specialties. She learned that everyone has something to offer one another. Lisa also shares her personal studio with Ariel Jessop, a painter, and they get along very well and encourage each other to get grants. The space she works at is very supportive and acts as a community. For example, she really needed a sink for her work on silk screening and the people and Brick Co. decided to build one for her. Although Lisa is working several jobs in the field, she wants to eventually be able to work for herself. She especially likes bookbinding because people can look through the book instead of just looking at a painting (it’s more interactive).
What Happens at The Studio:
Lisa works with artists to find out what they would like and then she makes it. For example, people have come to her with ideas for a box or cassette tape and describe what they would like. Currently, Bible rebinding is very popular. This means that a new cover is designed and a new intro page is created and placed inside.
Lisa And Holyoke:
Lisa knew about the Holyoke area prior to moving, as mentioned. Currently, she’s been living there for almost three years now. She’s seen a lot of change in the past few years. For example, the whole canal has been redone and she’s hoping that the new train will bring more people into the city. Eventually, she would like to move into a bigger space in the same building.
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