The Cedar Lodge: A Conversation with Maya Meissner, Lorenzo Fanton, and Zatara Press Founder Andrew Fedynak

Join us for a presentation featuring artist Maya Meissner, book designer Lorenzo Fanton, and publisher and designer Andrew Fedynak of Zatara Press, as they discuss the creative process behind The Cedar Lodge. Meissner, originally from Marin County, California, and now based in New York City, will share insights into her in-depth research on the Yosemite Killer, photography trips to key locations, and the many iterations, revisions, and rejections that shaped the book’s collages. Fanton will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the intricate design process, including the creation of fully functional book dummies.

The Cedar Lodge presents a haunting, dream-like narrative of Meissner’s family’s close encounter with the Yosemite Killer in the late 1990s. The project combines artistic photographic materials from various sources, including collages, photographs taken during her teenage years, altered family snapshots, and newly captured images from the hotel and surrounding areas where the events unfolded. The book also features a full-length historical essay by Meissner, offering deeper context to this chilling and personal story.

Andrew Fedynak (Hartford Art School MFA and ICP One-Year Certificate Program) is a photographer, photobook publisher, and educator based out of Richmond, Virginia. Formally of Asheville, North Carolina, his projects are often centered on his personal views regarding the practice of Zen. These Fine Art Documentary photographs are regularly found around his home in the American South, and in other locations as moments occur. He prefers to see his finished projects in a book format, many of which have then been published, and exhibited globally. These books reside in the collections of many institutions such as Candela Gallery Collection, Museum of Modern Art Library, SCAD Atlanta – ACA Library Artists’ Book Collection, Virginia Museum of Fine Art Library, Yale University – Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and Walker Art Center Library.

Fedynak created Zatara Press in 2014 to publish uniquely designed and collaboratively crafted “Artist’s Styled Photobooks” centered around the aesthetic design principles of Wabi Sabi. To ZP, photobooks are poetic art objects as well as statements or narratives. As a publisher, and photobook designer, he has been called upon in the past to review portfolios at festivals such as Photolucida, PhotoNOLA, Medium Festival of Photography, and Review Santa Fe. He has also been a selector for contests such as Photolucida’s Critical Mass, and a nominator for PDN 30. Each year he continues to design photobooks for ZP, and other publishers, while also working on his own personal photographic projects.

Maya Meissner is an artist living in New York working within the mediums of photography, collage, installation, books, and performance.  Her work often deals with personal histories relating to family, landscape, and the explicit relationship of the photograph as evidence.  She received her BFA in Photography from the School of Visual Arts, and was honored with the Rhodes Family Award for Outstanding Achievement in Photography.  Meissner’s book dummy for The Cedar Lodge won a FUAM Dummy Book Award Special Prize at the 2018 Istanbul Photobook Festival, and 2nd place in the 2018 Cosmos-Arles PDF Award.  It was also short listed as a finalist in competitions for the Unseen Dummy Award, Cortona on the Move Photobook Prize, Singapore International Photography Festival, and Fiebre Photobook Festival.  In 2019, Meissner was selected as a Photolucida Critical Mass Top 50 Finalist.  Her art and photography have been exhibited in galleries and festivals around the world.

Lorenzo Fanton is an Italian graphic designer and design director based in New York City, specializing in brand identity, design systems, editorial design, and type design. With a career spanning multiple countries and top agencies—including Pentagram, Collins, Ogilvy & Mather, The Glue Society, and Fabrica—Lorenzo now runs Laguna.Studio, working with clients such as Ferrari, Taschen, and Apple. His work, recognized by the Type Directors Club of NY, the Society of Publication Design, and the Art Directors Club of NY, balances thorough research with intuitive creation, reflecting a dedication to craft, clarity, and communication. Passionate about typography and visual storytelling, Lorenzo brings years of experience managing creative teams, overseeing design processes, and mentoring emerging designers—helping them bridge the gap between academic exploration and professional practice.

If you’re a student with a valid ID, we’d love to have you join the talk for free! Just email us at programs@griffinmuseum.org to reserve your spot.