Miss Amy Jo celebrates 10 years of screen printing with ‘Jubileum!’

By Kris Kerzman
Contributing Writer

Like many artists, print maker and designer Amy Jo Hendrickson keeps a foot in two camps; one enthralled with the past, and another poised for the future. This will be apparent when she displays her exhibition Jubileum! at Plains Art Museum, a retrospective looking back at 10 years of screen printing and proof that she has no intention of slowing down from her role as one of region’s most in-demand designers and print makers, a role that has paired her work with such culture-forward entities as Learning Curve Records, Mudhoney, the Raveonettes, Peace Coffee, Summit Brewing, and more.

Of Jubileum! (a Nowegian term for “celebration”), Hendrickson says that she looked to commonalities in her career, as well as her North Dakotan roots, when putting the exhibition together. Along that theme, the exhibition will include her work for the Fargo Film Festival and the Norsk Hostfest, as well as the cowgirl- and bicycle-themed prints she produces annually.

All of her prints, she says, correspond to a design ethic inspired by “the sparkly and unnoticed.”

“Glitter helps,” she said when asked about making provocative and noticeable design, “and so does making sure not to polish all the rough edges. I hope people enjoy seeing the process in the final product.”

Those final products ride through distinctly American, decidedly Midwestern, and subtly Norwegian territory: along with cowgirls and bicycles, Hendrickson’s work combines uncluttered readability, strong imagery, a healthy dose of humor, a dash of shock value, and plenty of rosemaling (a Norwegian style of decorative embellishment), a combination that feels as familiar to upper Midwestern tastes as it does inventive. When asked by a band or product about a print, Hendrickson says she values what they see in her work.

“If a band or company seeks me out, they must feel a connection with what I do. It’s then my job to find that connection and use my language to translate theirs,” she said.

Hendrickson, who goes professionally by “Miss Amy Jo,” grew up in Fargo-Moorhead, getting her BFA in graphic design from MSUM in 2001. After a move to Minneapolis-St. Paul, she wasted no time in hanging out her shingle and forming Miss Amy Jo Graphic Design. In the years since, she has designed and created posters for a number of bands, record labels, companies, and venues— many of them household names. Her work has appeared in solo and group shows across the country and internationally, and in a number of publications, including “The Art of Modern Rock,” “The Utne Reader,” and “Panda Meat.”

Presently, Hendrickson also operates Who Made Who Studios in Minneapolis. Who Made Who doubles as a screen printing studio and a small storefront. The location, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this year this December, affords Hendrickson the opportunity to have a space to showcase and sell work while staking a claim in Minneapolis’s art district.

It’s a healthy balance of looking back and looking forward that has Hendrickson feeling confident about her career path.

“I’m actually hoping that things don’t change too much. I have such a nice balance between being able to do things that I’m interested in and things for other people,” she said.

Jubileum! The Screen Printed Art of Miss Amy Jo opens February 16 at Plains Art Museum. An opening reception will be held at the Museum on February 23 at 6 p.m.

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IF YOU GO:

WHAT: Jubileum! The Screen Printed Art of Miss Amy Jo
WHERE: The Plains Art Museum
WHEN: Thurs., Feb. 17, 6 p.m.
INFO: missamyjo.com