Welcome Melon Press to The Luminary
Welcome Melon Press to The Luminary
10.23.2025
The new home for Melon Press offers in-house publication services.
Welcome Melon Press to The Luminary
We’re excited to welcome Melon Press to The Luminary family. As a studio member and in-house printer, Melon Press brings a spirit of experimentation and collaboration that perfectly aligns with our own history of publishing and supporting artists’ ideas.
The Luminary has held several experimental publications and prints since 2011, supporting the founders’ early platforms of collaborative discourse. The Luminary’s co-founder, James McAnally, started MARCH, a journal of art & strategy. Originally an expansion of their previous publication Temporary Art Review, MARCH was a platform that highlighted works and ideas that challenged social and political issues.
In a similar vein, Melon Press focuses on connecting communities through the art of the Risograph, a retro screenprint-inspired, soy-ink print technique originally from Japan. The founders, Sophia Malone and Daniel Madrigal started the studio in 2021 as a means to understand the craft while conveying the stories of marginalized people from the Midwest. Sophia, a print maker by trade, had never touched Riso until four years ago. From her garage, she and Daniel began developing their expertise and built a client list that appreciated the craft. In 2023, The Luminary’s regranting initiative, Future’s Fund, provided the funding she needed to publish Melon Press’s first fully risographed magazine, Duplicator.
Melon Press continues the rich tradition of publishing at The Luminary, echoing the experimental and collective ethos of MARCH. Similarly, Melon Press is both a publication and a community: a place where ideas take shape, artists connect, and experimentation is at the heart of every project. Melon Press and The Luminary have much in common, especially a collective commitment to building community through art. Sophia reflects that growing roots in St. Louis has been a positive move for her practice, noting that “the feeling of support and community here is unmatched and special”.
Melon Press’ work can be explored in the Luminary bookstore, INDEX, where you’ll find items like the newly released Froot Punch #3, a yearly publication featuring queer artists from around the Midwest, and copies of Duplicator Magazine. Beyond this work, expect many future collaborations between The Luminary and Melon Press. We look forward to creating new community-driven, ephemeral publications that reflect our shared commitment to experimental print media.