This Friday, Tamarind Institute hosts a jubilee in honor of three long-time employees as they begin their retirement. Marjorie Devon, Bill Lagattuta and Rodney Hamon, who combined have contributed more than 75 years of service to the institute, will all retire by the end of this year.

The Tamarind Institute has been a way of life for the trio. Founded in Los Angeles in 1960 by June Wayne as a way to revive the art of lithography. Lithography is a printing process that involves using greasy drawing materials to create images on stones or metal plates.

In 1970, the Tamarind Institute was moved to New Mexico by Clinton Adams and became affiliated with UNM.

Devon became the director of Tamarind in 1985 after studying at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and graduating with a degree in French from UC Berkeley.

Lagattuta joined Tamarind in 1988 after working at places such as Peregrine Press, Master Editions, Sette Publishing, and Vermillion Editions. He received his BA from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina and his MFA from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Hamon received his degree from Chico State University before receiving his Tamarind Master Printer Certificate. In addition, he received his MFA at the University of New Mexico, going on to work at Origins Press, Western Graphics, Watson Paper Company, and Houston Fine Arts Press before joining Tamarind in 1999.

The institute invites all Tamarind alumni, artists, collectors, and supporters for a three-day jubilee starting September 11 and ending Sept. 13 to honor these three employees who have given many years to the institution.

On Sept. 11, there will be an exhibition for Mementos, which showcases pieces of lithography from the Marge/Bill/Rodney era.

From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 12, the Tamarind National Advisory Board will host the Win/Win Art Lottery. This event, which takes place at the Richard Levy Gallery, requires one hundred participants and one hundred donated art pieces. Participants will choose a work, in the order of a random number received upon entry.

The final event at 11 a.m. on Sept. 13 will include current and past students of lithography as well as others interested in the subject, who will gather for a conversation with Tamarind’s first technical director, Garo Antreasian.

This celebration commemorates the three lithography legends who will be retiring as well as the 55th anniversary of the Tamarind Institute.

For more information, visit: Tamarind Institute.