Thomas Wojak: Bad Money
September 11-October 24, 2021
A quizzical and somewhat sarcastic look at our currency in relation to other countries. This sampling of denominations also speaks to the choice of characters we hold dear, regardless of their political or personal shortcomings. Perhaps it is time to rethink these choices?
– From the studio of Thomas Wojak, Professor Emeritus (CCA, Oakland, CA)
Thomas Wojak is a master printer and artist who founded The W.O.R.K.S, a screen printing studio, in 1972 in San Francisco. The studio specializes in limited edition work for local, national and international artists, and works extensively with the Bay Area design and technology communities. Recent projects with Apple and Google have been of particular note. Over the years, his prints in the field have been honored by both the San Francisco Art Directors Guild and the New York Art Directors Association. Projects include editions for the Estate of Jerry Garcia, prints and mixed media pieces for artists such as Carrie Mae Weems, Mayumi Oda, Primo Angeli, Larry Sultan, Steve Wolfe, Nance O’Banion, Ester Hernandez, Juana Alicia Araiza, Jordan Kantor, Tom Sachs, James Gobel and work with Peter Kuckei and a group of Berlin painters. The graphic elements for Francis Ford Coppola’s winery and movie museum in the Napa Valley, as well as screen printed pieces for the Alcatraz Island renovations, Contemporary Jewish Museum and SFMOMA were significant projects. Thomas relocated his studio and home to historic downtown Vallejo, CA, in 2002. His own work, consisting of print and mixed media pieces, deals with “creating a present from the fragments of the past” and has been exhibited extensively locally, nationally and internationally. He has participated in an broad cross section of group and invitational shows, as well as spearheading many local curatorial projects, in particular a series of shows entitled: Paper Cuts, featuring the work or all the graduate programs in the Bay Area , doing works on paper. A recent curatorial projecct at the Jen Tough Gallery, (Vallejo/Benicia) entitled CA inked featured many artists from the California Society of Printmakers. He was awarded Certificates of Recognition from the California State Assembly and Senate, acknowledging his work in helping revitalize downtown Vallejo, CA. The Mayor and City Council of Vallejo appointed him to the Percent for Art Advisory Group to help craft guidelines for establishing a Public Art program in Vallejo. In 2019 he was welcomed as an honorary member of the California Society of Printmakers. Thomas is an Associate Professor in the print media program at the California College of the Arts (formerly CCAC) in Oakland, CA. Upon his recent retirement from teaching after almost 30 years, he was awarded in 2020, the status of Professor Emeritus of Print media. He has also taught workshops at Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, and occasionally at Penland School of Crafts in NC, and the Mendocino Art Center, in Mendocino, CA. He served on the steering committee assisting in bringing the Southern Graphics Council International to San Francisco in Spring 2014.