Pittsburgh, PA, September 26, 2008 -- Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) has named Mark Barbour the industry recipient of its 2008 Education Awards of Excellence. The awards are presented annually to an academic representative and an industry representative in recognition of outstanding contributions to education and training in the graphic arts.

Mr. Barbour is the founding director and curator of the International Printing Museum in Carson, California, and he has held this position since its beginning in 1988. The rich history of printing often takes a back seat to modernity and the technological evolution of the industry-but not at the International Printing Museum. Mr. Barbour has created an environment in which the past comes alive. Innovative displays include a colonial printing shop and an old west newspaper pressroom, where each piece of equipment is in working condition and operated by a well-informed docent.

While he has amassed an impressive collection of antique printing equipment for the museum, Mr. Barbour's true passion is education. His Museum on Wheels-a trailer designed to look like a colonial printing shop-now reaches 25,000 to 30,000 fifth and eight graders throughout California, Arizona, and Nevada, and it features programming that corresponds with state-mandated curriculum for those grades. During a 90-minute demonstration, Mr. Barbour and the Museum's Ben Franklin character give interactive and informative presentations about the history of printing, the importance of literacy, and the entrepreneurial spirit that is associated with American industry.

Mr. Barbour also established the Book Arts Institute at the museum, a teaching facility that provides hands-on experiences for those interested in learning traditional printing techniques and artistic bookmaking skills. The Institute now holds regular classes and sponsors a lecture series for a rapidly expanding audience. Through his innovative leadership, the museum continues to develop and deliver programs that inform students about the importance of the graphic communications and printing industries as well as exposing them to future related opportunities.
 
The Education Awards of Excellence will be presented on October 26 at the 2008 GASC/PIA/GATF Teacher's Conference in Chicago, Illinois. For more information about the Education Awards of Excellence or to learn how to submit a 2009 nomination, please contact Deena Hower at 800-910-4283, ext. 702 or [email protected].