2017 The People's Printmaking Week Highlights
The week leading up to our Annual Print Fair & Exhibition we opened our doors late in the evening to folks eager to learn different printmaking techniques. We kicked off the week on Monday with Dewey Tafoya who taught folks how to make monoprints. He shared his famous “Nopaleta on Fire” prints for inspiration, let folks browse SHG’s monoprint inventory, and gave a quick demo. We were joined by people of varying skill level from experienced artists to first time printers. Participants created multiple original prints through the night and their final product was amazing!
On Tuesday night we saw some familiar faces come back for our Portraits for Screen Printing with Ni Santas. The entry level workshop took us down memory lane as folks brought in photographs of their grandmothers, siblings, and parents to turn into prints. Participants were guided through the screen printing process by different collective members. They learned how to make film positives of their photographs, prep, print, and clean a screen.
The biggest turnout all week was for our Wheat Paste Workshop with Votan of NSRGNTS. Votan shared his artistic background and travel experiences with folks to show how graffiti and art can help mobilize people anywhere in the world. Participants learned how to make stencils which they spray painted onto wooden panels and how to mix their own wheat paste. The workshop culminated with a collaborative poster.
We ended our printmaking week with Mini Monster Printmaking with Victor Rosas. Participants made a small portfolio with linocut prints and chine-collé prints. They designed their own characters and monsters as they spent the afternoon learning from and printing with Victor.
We had a great time seeing familiar faces and connecting with new folks. We’ll see you next time!
Arleny Vargas is a Boyle Heights-bred resident who divides her time between Boston and Los Angeles. She’s currently an undergraduate at Wellesley College pursuing her degree in Spanish and Studio Art. Passionate about art and representation, she seeks to combine her writing and art in an effort to combat negative media representation and amplify the narratives and experiences of the Latinx community.