PRESS 2013 Downstreet Art Exhibitions: Coming Soon!

Spring is in the air, finally! So that means Downstreet Art and a new season of exhibits at PRESS is just around the corner. We can’t wait, and we have some really exciting news related to the summer, but you’ll just have to stay tuned for that!

For now, check out what’s up for the next few months. More coming soon!

PRESS 2013 Downstreet Art

EXHIBITS

June 20

imPRESS

MASS MoCA Teenspace artists explore printmaking

 

July 25

Liminality

Prints and Artist Books that mark the space between having departed but not yet arrived. 

Featuring the work of Valerie Carrigan

 

August 29

The Politics of _________________

Printed works that invite the viewer into conversation and debate.

 

 

September 26

Markings

Marks and mark-making in printmaking: work created at PRESS.

 

October 31

The Diary Project

Which is more beautiful, the documentation of an event or the event itself? You decide. Featuring the work of Tara O’Brien

 

December 5

Fresh

Explorations in prints and artist books by MCLA students and others.

 

WORKSHOPS

Make your own MANTRA

Third Wednesday of the Month, 5-8 pm

July 17, August 21, September 18, October 16

Learn the basics of setting and printing type on a letterpress printer. Bring a phrase/mantra that is less than 20 words, learn to compose it on a type stick, place in the bed of the press and PRINT! We will print on paper that you bring from home as well as paper that we provide.

$55

Danielle celebrates with a PRESS mantra card

Teens take over PRESS!

Over the past month or so, I have been working with two different groups of teenagers.

Group One: MASS MoCA Teenspace 

I have a teaching artist residency with MASS MoCA’s Teenspace program. A group of incredibly talented and interesting teens from all over the north county have been gathering either at Kidspace or PRESS  for the past eight weeks to learn about printmaking, bookmaking and how text and image go together. We even had a great private class and behind the scene tour of A Life’s Work with Johnny Carrera. I’ve been able to do this work in part thanks to a Local Cultural Council Grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. (Thank you!)

Noel at the helm of the machine

They are really are having fun

Sandgraph blocks

Sandragraph blocks

Group Two: Drury High School Students 

A small group of students and their teachers, eight total, came to PRESS twice. First to get an introduction to letterpress printing, print media and the history of type. After an hour of demos, questions and conversation they were sent away to make their own sandragraphs. Two weeks later they returned to print them, a great couple of hours of printing and creative problem solving.

From Pop-Up to Permanent

Last week I presented From Pop-Up to Permanent at the Southern Graphics Council International (SCGI) Conference in Milwaukee. The Southern Graphics Council conferences whether national or international are meccas for printmakers to meet, learn, connect and get inspired.

My talk focused on seven steps that have helped PRESS take it’s original pop-up status to something more permanent. Download the handout: Print MKE PopUPtoPermament Handout

These tips were specifically utilized at PRESS: LetterPRESS as a Public Art Project, an educational and artistic resource for letterpress printmaking in the Berkshires.  PRESS is a hybrid public art space providing community and creative exchanges as a work studio, teaching facility and art gallery.

Located in North Adams, MA, PRESS invites the public to experience traditional letterpress printing through observation, exhibitions, workshops and independent explorations.

Pop-up to Permanent TOP TIPS for transforming a project
1. What is uniquely you?
Know your mission and what makes you unique. Celebrate it. Build your mission around it. Use it to your advantage.

2. Tap into a local college/university community for interns, apprentices, and volunteers.
But remember, working with students is not just about help on your project. It’s also about passing on passion and understanding their passion. Find out what interests your interns, apprentices, and volunteers. What are their strengths? What do they want to learn from the time they are with you?

3. Get to know your neighbors, your community.
Who is next door to you? Make sure you get to know them. Reach out to other organizations. Partner. Collaborate. You can’t do it alone.

4. Establish an online presence. (Website, Facebook, Blog, E-commerce)
This is a great place for intern help; especially the ones who are particularly savvy at this stuff. Advertise. Connect. Sell. Inspire. Network.

5. Celebrate your supporters.
There are people out there who want to help you, kinda like Kickstarter. Create your own ways of celebrating your financial supporters. Know where you have to spend money or give things away in order to get more back. Print giveaways, discounts on workshops, subscriptions, etc.

6. Work Exchanges.
Former students, area artists, visiting artists either pay hard cash or trade services for use of the press. What kinds of exchanges can you create for people who want to get more involved in your project?

7. Explore your local/state cultural council grant making avenues and other grant opportunities.
Most states have some sort of cultural council, checkout what yours offers. See if your library subscribes to the Foundation Center—research opportunities for grants. There’s money out there, you just have to find the right resource. Here are some to get you started: http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/800187/20-top-artists-grants-and-fellowships-you-might-actually-be-able-to-get

 

Rise!

Where will you be tonight, this night of Valentine? See where PRESS will be: Spice Dragon in Pittsfield for One Billion Rising.

We made this for the event. If you go tonight, you can take your FREE copy home with you. Music spinning until 9 pm. See you on the dance floor.

Rise: Manifest

DIY Valentine Workshop–Still on!

We are still planning to have our DIY Valentine Workshop on Saturday from 2-5 p.m only.

Stay tuned here for updates. We’ll keep you posted  if we decide to move it to Sunday because of the snow.

Manifest!

PRESS will be operating on a limited schedule during the Spring 2013 Semester. Instead, you will find me out in the world, sometimes with my partner in crime Douglas giving out MANIFEST cards. It my/our way of trying to help spark the change I/we want to be and see in the world. It’s also about encouraging whomever to go into themselves, and find the inner fun, faith, calm, peace and love to manifest anything and everything in one’s life.

Right now I am in Haiti with eight MCLA students and Jonathan Secor learning as much as I possibly can about contemporary Haitian Art and giving out MANIFEST cards to those I meet.

Here’s one of my recipients.

Haiti, Iron worker, Croix des Bouquets

Once I return to the States, and throughout the Spring Semester, you will find me at home in Cheshire, working in North Adams, and traveling to Milwaukee, Chicago, maybe Maine and who knows where else, with cards in hand, giving them to strangers and friends alike.

Not in my tour? You can get one with a bird, if you join PRESS as a member.

Download  Membership 2013 and send it in. It’s the free print that you get when you join at the Albion Level.

Thanks for coming by.

Wishing you Bon Soleil. 

Fun with Fourth Graders from Brayton Elementary School

Sally Sussman, a wonderful artist educator, who took one of the workshops at PRESS this year approached me about doing a small workshop with five fourth graders from Brayton Elementary School. She had ridiculously tight perimeters, no budget, and only an hour and five minutes of time printing at PRESS.

I agreed. Sally and I both are from Ohio. We both went to the Cleveland Institute of Art. 1969 was an important year for both of us. And well, Sally is just plain awesome. I hope I can have the same kind of enthusiasm and energy when I am her age. I really don’t know who had more fun on Tuesday. Me and Pam, or Sally and the five fourth graders.

Those five young ladies took over printing on the Poco like they had been printing for years. They turned the handle no matter how difficult it got. They inked. They composed. They printed. And most importantly they had fun, oh and they really helped each other too!

So what did we do?

Sally made sandragraphs plates with the girls during one of their sessions. During the next session, she borrowed two cases of gorgeous wood type, did a writing exercise and then each girl picked out a word that best described themselves.

Once they got to PRESS, we first printed the sandragraphs and then the words. Sandragraphs on the Vandercook. Words on the Poco.

Totally awesome.

It was really fun working with Shay, Tehay, Sam, Lana, Jess and of course Sally. I could not have done it without Pam Buchanan. Best teaching assistant/partner maybe ever.

Great fun.

Thanks to all for a great opening of Captured Life!

Wow, thank you North Adams, MCLA, Michael Chapman–who gave us the desk that Julia McDonald used in her installation, Greg Scheckler, Laura Christensen and all the family and friends of MCLA’s soon to be newest art major graduates for coming out and supporting a great night of art.

Adriana Alexatos, Kim Lavigne, Sarah Howard and Julia McDonald came together to install a beautiful show that showcases each of their own artistic experimentations. Here are some of the pics from opening night. If you missed the opening, the show runs through December 16th, be sure to stop on by to see the work before it goes!

Adg is one of our favorite interns!

Captured Life, OPENING TONIGHT!

Captured Life, opening at PRESS tonight! The four graduating MCLA art majors featured in this show have been hard at work the past week installing, preparing and getting their work, PRESS and themselves ready for the big night. Everything is ready. Work is hung. Vinyl is up. Labels are mounted. Nerves are at a minimum and everyone is super excited.

We can’t wait to share this excitement and hope to see you!

5-8 p.m. 105 Main Street.

Other great stuff happening Downstreet–check out Gallery 51′s annual 99cent and up show, Doodling on Holden Street and more.

Featured artists, clockwise from top left:

Adriana Alexatos, Sarah Howard, Julia McDonald, and Kimberly Lavigne.

 

Getting ready for Thursday’s opening

MCLA art majors Adriana Alexatos, Sarah Howard, Kim Lavigne and Julia McDonald, graduating this December 2012 will be featured at the next PRESS exhibition, CAPTURED LIFE, opening this Thursday. They are hard at work prepping the gallery, installing and getting ready for their big show. We can’t wait for it all to be up and ready to share. Hopefully we will see you Thursday, between 5-8 pm! You can check out the same pics at flickr, too.