Chris Stern

(American, born 1950, died 2006)

Northwest artist, letterpress printmaker, and typecaster Christopher Stern (1950-2006) created limited edition artist books and prints.

Born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Stern moved with his family to Seattle in 1965. He earned a bachelor's degree from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Northwestern Washington. In 1979 he became a typesetter for the Seattle Sun newspaper, where his interest in typesetting, letterpress, and printmaking blossomed. In 1994 he co-founded Stern and Faye Letterpress printshop in the Skagit Valley with his partner, Jules Remedios Faye. Together they produced fine press poetry chapbooks and provided commercial letterpress and binding services. Stern developed a working type foundry and produced an extensive type library. This collection is now housed in the Museum of Metal Typography in Portland, Oregon.