Washington, D.C. has a rich history of Black owned printmaking workshops where artists thrived and formed community. Before the 1970's, Black artists had few opportunities to own their own studios, and showcase their art. Percy Martin and Michael Platt's story is part of a larger history. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 expanded the number of Black owned businesses. Martin, founded WD Printmaking Workshop in 1972 . Platt established "Platt Studios" in 1989. These studios embraced a steady flow of emerging and established artists from DC to as far away as Jamaica. During a time when Black artists were denied access to the city’s galleries, museums and universities, Percy and Michael offered places where Black artists formed community, shared ideas, exhibited their work and made prints. Percy and Michael, both teachers; Percy at Sidwell Friends, and Michael at Howard University and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) in Alexandria, VA.; were often, among the only Black artists, who regularly attended the Southern Graphics Council International printmaking conferences, taking information from demonstrations of the newest materials and techniques back to their communities.

Platt's work focuses on the criminal justice system, slavery, hurricane Katrina, and genocide. Michael collaborating with his wife poet, Carol A. Beane, creates large scale print installations and artists books, blending image and text. Percy uses traditional intaglio with computer-generated images to produce large-scale etchings of "The Bushman", his personal narrative of science fiction combined with African mythologies.

Printmakers Percy A. Martin and Michael B. Platt, participated in pivotal political movements, having significant impact on American art and arts education. This documentary provides personal accounts of their history, training, involvement with the development of print departments, studios, and their art.

In Memoriam: Michael B. Platt 1943- 2019

Michael passed away, at the peak of his career prior to the opening of his 2019 retrospective, Michael B. Platt & Carol A. Beane: Influences and Connections, at the American University Art Museum, in Washington D.C.

Director Biography - SUSAN J. GOLDMAN

Producer & Director Susan J. Goldman, artist, master printmaker, curator, writer and filmmaker. Goldman is Founding Director of Lily Press®, located in Rockville, MD. She is also Founding Director of Printmaking Legacy Project ®, a non-profit based dedicated to the documentation, preservation and conservation of printmaking practice and history.

Goldman received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Indiana University-Bloomington, and Master of Fine Arts from Arizona State University-Tempe. After moving to Washington in 1990, Goldman taught printmaking at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, MICA, Georgetown University, and was Master Printer/Program Director at Pyramid Atlantic. She was Adjunct Professor/Master Printer for Navigation Press at George Mason University-Fairfax.

Goldman sustains a full-time vibrant studio practice producing and exhibiting her own work nationally and internationally. Her work is in private and public collections worldwide.

Director Statement

Printmaking and documentary filmmaking are at the heart of my life’s work. As a filmmaker, I am drawn to artists whose creative practices are deeply rooted in community—artists who not only produce extraordinary work, but who nurture, mentor, and inspire others within the collaborative environment of the print studio.

Through my films, I seek to illuminate the human stories behind the press: the dedication, experimentation, resilience, and shared knowledge that define printmaking. The studio becomes more than a workspace—it is a sanctuary of dialogue, craftsmanship, and creative discovery. I am especially interested in capturing the quiet, tactile moments of the process, revealing how ink, paper, and pressure become vehicles for identity, history, and connection.

The Printmaking Legacy Project® extends this cinematic mission beyond the screen. By documenting master printmakers and preserving their voices and techniques, we safeguard an essential chapter of art history while making it accessible to wider audiences. My goal is not only to record a tradition, but to celebrate its living, evolving spirit and ensure its transmission to future generations.

At its core, my work is about legacy—how artistic knowledge is shared, how communities are built, and how creativity endures.

Susan J. Goldman

Director