A large crowd gathered in The Gallery at Penn College Thursday evening to explore the printmaking series, “American Epic,” and listen to its artist describe his process and inspirations. Jesse Shaw delved deep into his childhood experiences, growing up in Hawaii and the rural South, and shared his artistic reflections from discovering the social realism imbued in Mexican murals to committing to his craft on a daily basis. Shaw has completed 29 hand-pulled linocuts in a collection that he intends to grow to 50 pieces. Each intricate artwork takes seven to nine months to carve before it's printed. Shaw discussed his love of the “authority of black and white” prints and his use of birds as “narrators” and chickens as “underdogs.” The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, runs through Dec. 12. Gallery hours are 2-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, and 1-4 p.m. Sundays. It is not open on Mondays and Saturdays, and will be closed Nov. 21-25.