If you’ve spent any time at all in Peterborough over the last few years, you’ve probably come across a sign or artwork created by graphic designer Jeffrey Macklin at some point or another. After all, with their vibrant colours and bold, thought-provoking words, his designs demand attention.
Known through his business Jackson Creek Press, Macklin is a relief (letterpress) printer, mixed media artist, and freelance graphic designer whose work has been featured in dozens of exhibits and shows across the Kawarthas. His work can also be found around town, calling attention to local and global issues and advertising fundraisers and events.
But his contributions in Peterborough aren’t only creative, as Macklin can often be found building the city’s community of artists by facilitating workshops, opening his home to studio tours, and organizing artists’ events meant to connect people through a shared love of art.
“It’s important that art is not a secret,” Macklin explains. “I’m making art all the time, and I want other people to as well. It’s often one of the best ways to express yourself.”
Though Macklin has spent the majority of his life in Peterborough, he continues to be constantly inspired by it, with many of his creative inspirations gained by walking and biking around the city.
“It’s a pretty amazing place in many ways,” he says. “I’m a lifetime cyclist so I ride the trails all the time. The quality of life as a person who lives downtown Peterborough is pretty great — I’m footsteps away from anything, but I’m also ten minutes away from the country in any direction.”
Macklin is so enamoured with the city that, when he began freelancing 14 years ago, he even named his company after one of his favourite places.
“Having places like Jackson Park at our fingertips is a real blessing,” the artist says. “With the beautiful cedars and the creek running through, it’s a real respite for people, myself included. My children played in the creek when they were babies.”
Long before his children ran through the park, Macklin himself did so while spending his childhood in Peterborough after moving there at a young age. By the time he went to high school, Macklin had already developed an interest in typography and logo design. His talent and passion were nurtured by his “amazing” art teacher, Roberta Patterson, with whom he continues to maintain contact.
“I’ve always been a maker, always been a doodler,” he recalls. “It became a thread through my life for sure.”
Macklin moved away from Peterborough for a brief time in the mid-1980s to study design at Sheridan College. There, he was a part of the last cohort that didn’t use computers, which, he explains now, ultimately had an impact on his work.
“It kind of informs my career a little bit in that, sure, I still use computers — I learned to use them right off the bat and have used computers my whole life — but there’s something about things that are handmade in a graphic design way.”
At the time, Macklin wasn’t even practising printmaking yet, but was focused instead on drawing and painting. Then, 22 years ago, he came across a proofing press he moved into the garage he still has on Bonaccord Street before he took a course on letterpress printing — a form of relief printing where ink is applied to text or an image on a raised surface and then paper is pressed directly against it to transfer the text or image.
Though he’s acquired and let go of several in the past, Macklin currently has two presses in his possession, the second being a Nolan he got recently, which sits in the kitchen of his Downie Street apartment. He prints using wood and lead type, with images from hand-carved linocut, to create his own style of artwork.
“I use words as visual triggers, so I love the letter forms and I love the impact of words,” says Macklin. “The power of the word imbued with the letterpress aesthetic is what really gets me.”
The other key to his work, Macklin explains, is colour.
“I love putting complementary colours up against each other,” he notes. “It really is a process of having the words, figuring out how I can make them interesting, choosing the letter forms and assembling them, locking them in, inking them, and printing.”
Macklin’s works were recently on display for the Art Gallery of Peterborough’s Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour, where he welcomed guests into his home studio — something he is willing to do even more if it means helping emerging artists having more access to a printing press.
“I invite people to just reach out to me if they want to come and give it a shot,” he says. “I can show them the ropes. I’ve always shared the press with people and if somebody’s into it, I’m interested in bringing them into the family.”
To further inspire the community, the artist has been a regular facilitator of graphic design, book binding, and printmaking workshops and classes with the Art Gallery of Peterborough, Electric City Culture Council, and Artspace Peterborough. He has also taught at Fleming College and the Haliburton School of Design. This summer, he was also one of the speakers at a workshop for BIPOC and 2SLGBQ+ artists applying for the Electric City Culture Council’s grant program for individual artists.
Macklin explains workshops like these are one of many ways the city shows support of Peterborough’s range of artists.
“Peterborough has such a vibrant art scene, with an artist-run centre (Artspace), an art gallery, a major league music scene,” Macklin points out. “There’s dance and the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, we have theatre coming out the yazoo — The Theatre on King and the (Peterborough) Theatre Guild. For a small town, we’ve got a lot going on. Peterborough is a great place for artists.”
Macklin himself plays no small role in Peterborough’s celebration of art. He’s not only finished a 12-year run on the board of Artspace, but he has also been part of the monthly First Friday Peterborough art crawls and, in the past few years, has organized Focus Fair, an artisan sale for crafters, artists, and makers to sell their creations.
“It has a broad range of makers because the barriers to entry are low, with low table fees,” Macklin says of Focus Fair. “We try to open up space for new makers all the time so that people take a chance on their artwork and feel good about it — because it’s a big ask for someone to put the artwork out into the world.”
Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Focus Fair returns to the Theatre on King in downtown Peterborough on Saturday, December 9th and Sunday, December 10th for its 19th year. Artists interested in participating can email focusfair@gmail.com.
Macklin explains Focus Fair not only gives new artists an opportunity to share their work, but it creates unity among the artists.
“I’m always an advocate for artists advocating for themselves,” he says. “Putting a bunch of artists together in a room is only going to be a win. Lots of artists work solo and independently and in a very cut-off way, so it’s a chance for people to see other people’s work, network, and find collaboration opportunities.”
In addition to being an advocate for the arts, Macklin is also passionate about creating space for queer men in the region to connect with one another. Last September during Pride Week, he hosted an evening of film, poetry, and photography called “I Know A Place / Poetry Is Queer / Shot In A Mirror” at Dreams of Beans Café.
This past September, he hosted a dance for men called “Frottage” at the café, and is hosting “Frottage 2.0” there on Friday, December 15th.
“For a long time, Peterborough had the rainbow romp as a dance for everybody — there’s also been a long history of women’s dances — but I felt like there was a gap as there wasn’t a men’s dance,” Macklin says, explaining the event is open to all men and masc-identifying people.
“I’m just trying to create a scene,” he explains. “There are so many beautiful little spaces downtown that deserve to have things going on in them.”
To view and purchase Macklin’s artwork, visit www.jacksoncreekpress.ca and follow Jackson Creek Press on Instagram and Facebook.
This story has been updated to correct the date for “Frottage 2.0” and to correct an error in Jeffrey Macklin’s name in the feature photo cutline.
