Open Studio: Letterpress, Screen printing, Bookbinding, Papermaking

$50 (10% discount for MCBA members)
An hourly rate of $15 (10% discount for MCBA members) may be available the night of Open Studio at The Shop (hourly participants may not register in advance)
Experience and training required

Letterpress:
Set type, make polymer plates, print on MCBA’s presses and enjoy the fellowship of other artists. Presses are selected upon participant arrival on a first-come-first-served basis. Participants must have taken a beginning letterpress workshop (other than Dirty Works) in order to register. Fee covers black ink and solvents; supply your own paper.

Screen printing:
Prep screens, expose and print in MCBA’s darkroom and printing studio, and enjoy the fellowship of other artists. Fee covers screen use and emulsion; supply your own ink and paper.

Bookbinding:
Open Studio provides access to binding tools, cutting equipment, and fellowship! Work on your own projects in the company of other artists in a friendly and supportive environment. Fee covers tool use plus some consumables (thread and PVA); supply your own book board, cloth, paper and other needs.

Papermaking:
Bring your prepared paper fiber for sheet-forming or beat fiber for future sheet-forming. The paper studio has a variety of moulds and deckles for making sheets, two hydraulic presses, plenty of vats and felts with air-drying racks and restraint dryers. Attendees should schedule a time to pick up their paper the following day. The studio’s two Valley beaters can each hold approximately .75 lb. (dry) of fiber (rag or half-stuff), and the Reina beater can hold up to 2 lb. (dry) of fiber (half-stuff only). Beaters are selected upon participant arrival, first-come-first-served. Pre-weigh and pre-soak all fibers to be beaten.