University of Iowa alum Jason Urban will return to Iowa City to speak about the passion he turned into a career.

Urban will lecture on printmaking in 116 Art Building West at 8 p.m. today. The event is free and open to the public.

As an artist, writer, curator, designer, and teacher, Urban said the biggest downfall to his job is that there aren’t enough hours in the day.

"There is always work to do," he said. "I feel very lucky to have had opportunities to share my work with different audiences in different parts of the world. It’s afforded me the means to meet new people."

Urban has taught at Temple University, Maryland Institute College of Art, and Bucknell University, among other institutions.

He currently teaches printmaking and foundations at the University of Texas-Austin and is the cofounder of Printeresting, a miscellaneous art site that proclaims it "analyze[s] the role of print in contemporary culture."

He said he has been making art for as long as he can remember.

"I don’t know at what point you stop being a student or amateur and start being a professional … it’s a gradual process," he said. "Teaching gives me a chance to interact with students and at its best, exposes me to new ideas and different ways of thinking. Teaching clarifies things for me; by listening, explaining, and talking, I gain understanding."

— by Jennifer Hoch