Max Schumann

Today Printed Matter announced that their new Executive Director is their long-time Bookstore Manager and Associate Director Max Schumann. Their full press release is below.


"Printed Matter is pleased to announce that Max Schumann has been appointed to the role of Executive Director. Max has worked with Printed Matter for 26 years, starting as a book packer in 1989. He served as Bookstore Manager from 1993-2004, as Associate Director from 2005-2013, and as Acting Director on a number of occasions during his time with the organization.

Max Schumann takes on the position at an exciting time for Printed Matter as it prepares to move into a larger location this fall. The new home at Eleventh Avenue and 26th Street will bring both challenges and opportunities to the organization, providing an expanded platform for the distribution of artists’ books and for the strengthening of Printed Matter’s public programs and services. The Executive Director role oversees the many facets of the non-profit organization’s activities, including administration, programming, development and institutional relations and partnerships. Max is also tasked with the significant challenges that come with the build-out of the new space, greatly increased programming and a growing infrastructure. The organization is currently undertaking the largest Capital Campaign in its 40 year history, with a goal of raising $850,000 to underwrite the renovations underway at Printed Matter’s new facility.

Philip Aarons, Chair of Printed Matter’s Board of Directors, said: "We couldn’t be happier that Max has decided to take on the Executive Director position. For many years Max has been the heart and soul of Printed Matter. He knows the organization better than anyone, and it is hard to imagine a more perfect match for the job. His expansive knowledge of the present day culture and history of artists’ books has already been a tremendous asset in shaping the vision of the organization, and I’m confident he is ideally suited to taking on Printed Matter’s new challenges in the chief executive role. His deep and genuine commitment to the possibilities of the artists’ book as both an artistic and political medium is remarkable, and speaks to much of what the organization stands for. We look forward to Printed Matter’s continued growth under his expert guidance.”

Max Schuman said of his new appointment: "We are at an extraordinary moment in Printed Matter’s history. With the recent resurgence of artists’ publishing, we are uniquely positioned to support this activity on a number of fronts. I’m eager to work with Printed Matter’s staff to best utilize our amazing new space, advance our many public programs including the NY and LA Art Book Fairs, and develop our online presence to strengthen the reach of artists’ publications as an accessible and democratic form of art. Artists’ books have an amazing legacy of addressing a range of social, political, economic and cultural themes, both as artistic works and as models of cultural activism. In the role of Executive Director I look forward to reinforcing Printed Matter as an essential platform for this type of material, as well as to encourage the field of artists books and publications in the broadest way possible.”

During his time at Printed Matter, Max has played a key role in the development of many of Printed Matter’s programs and services over the past three decades. He curated the exhibitions By Any Means Necessary: Photocopier Books and the Politics of Accessible Printing Technologies (1992); PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I WANT: the Multiples and Editioned Works of Jenny Holzer (2002); and A Show About Colab (and Related Activities) (2011); NOTHING IS NOT READY (2013), featuring the publishing work of Bread & Puppet Press; and co-curated the expansive Learn to Read Art: A Surviving History of Printed Matter at NYU’s 80WSE Gallery (2014). Max also curates “Friendly Fire,” which features political and activist publishing collectives at the NY and LA Art Book Fair. He is the editor of “A Book About Colab (and Related Activities)”, forthcoming from Printed Matter in the fall of 2015.

In addition to his work for Printed Matter, Max is an artist whose work has been exhibited internationally. He serves on the Board of Directors of Primary Information, a non-profit artists’ publishing imprint, and Bread and Puppet Theater, one of America’s longest running non-profit experimental theater groups."