Category: Printing

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Printing

MCBA’s in-person and virtual workshops in book arts are designed for adults looking to spark their creativity and professionals aiming to hone their practice. Our in-studio workshops offer hands-on experiences with specialized equipment and small class sizes, and often include a physical takeaway like a book, poster, or handmade paper. Virtual workshops feature processes that require easy-to-source materials and the opportunity to connect with artists from near and far. Our teaching artists—who bring a wide range of experience and education—thoughtfully balance lecture, demonstration, work time, and group sharing.

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Artist’s Books from Start to Finish

with Rosae Reeder
Wednesdays: July 31, August 7, 14, 21; 4:30–6:30pm CT

Want to make an artist’s book but don’t know how to start? Have you made artist’s books but want guidance on how to structure the process? This virtual workshop will take you through the process of making an artist’s book from start to finish. We’ll begin by demystifying and defining the book form. Then, we’ll dive into tips for ideation and idea mapping, connecting intention to execution. Instruction will cover ways to connect structure to content and how to approach the interactivity/passivity of the viewer. We’ll make models of simple structures and discuss more difficult ones. Discussion will include an overview of various mark-making and image-making methods and materials. At the end of the workshop, we’ll discuss how to plan and prepare for the final construction of your artist book. Depending on how much you’re able to work on your project outside of the workshop, you will come away with either a finished artist’s book or a working mock-up (or in-progress artist’s book) that you can use as a reference for completing your polished version after the workshop.  Continue reading “Artist’s Books from Start to Finish”

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Polymer Plates for Letterpress

with Laura Brown
Thursday, August 8; 6–9pm CT

Polymer plates allow printers to translate drawings, etchings, and photographs into letterpress prints. In this in-person letterpress workshop, learn how to mount, register, and print polymer plates on the Vandercook press. Instruction will focus on inking polymer plates, ideal paper options, and how to clean and store polymer plates.  Continue reading “Polymer Plates for Letterpress”

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Letterpress 1: Printing Basics (August)

with Bethany Rahn
Saturday, August 10; 10am–4pm CT

This in-person letterpress workshop offers an introduction to MCBA’s print studio—including key equipment, tools, and terminology—in addition to an opportunity to experience the satisfaction of printing a message through the hands-on process of letterpress printing. Get to know MCBA’s wood type collection and learn beginning typesetting with wood type. Learn the basics of working with a flatbed cylinder press, including operation, safety, and care while building skills using the equipment with support from a teaching artist. In pairs, choose a text (three to five words) and print your own small edition of posters on a Vandercook press.  Continue reading “Letterpress 1: Printing Basics (August)”

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Letterpress 2: Setting Type (August)

with Laura Brown
Saturday, August 17; 10am–4pm CT

This in-person letterpress workshop focuses on setting metal type and building familiarity with printing on the Vandercook press. Learn how to navigate MCBA’s type collection, how type is stored and organized, and how to arrange it in a composing stick for setting a text. Training will be provided on line justification, kerning (space between letters and words), and methods for holding type together (or “locking up” a form) for printing. Procedures for maintaining a community type collection and print studio will also be covered, in addition to a review of basic press operation, care, and safety. This workshop is an excellent refresher and opportunity to get reacquainted with MCBA’s presses and print studio. Continue reading “Letterpress 2: Setting Type (August)”

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Laser-Cut Letterpress: Stencils for Pressure Printing

with Louise Fisher
Saturday, August 24; 10am–4pm CT

Discover the powerful possibilities of combining laser cutting and pressure printing on the Vandercook press! During this in-person workshop, learn how to design and fabricate laser-cut paper stencils for pressure printing. In the first half of the workshop, the instructor will give a tutorial in Adobe Illustrator for designing geometric patterns and file set-up for the laser cutting machine. Participants will then get hands-on experience making a pressure-printing plate from pre-made, laser-cut paper stencils and printing them on the Vandercook press. While MCBA does not have a laser cutter on site, instruction will be provided on where and how to access one in the Twin Cities area for future projects. Continue reading “Laser-Cut Letterpress: Stencils for Pressure Printing”

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Introduction to Book Design for Visual Artists

with Sarah Stengle
Thursdays: September 12, 19, 26; 6–9pm CT

This introduction to book design is tailored to the needs of visual artists, with a focus on both traditional and experimental approaches to typography, layout, and book structure. During the first week, we’ll focus on typography, followed by designing page spreads and sequencing text and/or imagery in the second session. The third week, we’ll focus on supporting participants’ individual design goals. Each session will begin with a presentation followed by time working with materials related to the session’s topic with individual guidance from the teaching artist. During the last session, participants will learn how to attach a flexible paper (Kozo or Gampi) album-hinge onto watercolor paintings, drawings, or prints so that inflexible artwork can be bound together into a book format that opens fully even if the pages of artwork are inflexible. Continue reading “Introduction to Book Design for Visual Artists”

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Introduction to Screen Printing: September

with Ben Etten
Saturday, September 21; 10am–4pm and Sunday, September 22; 10am–1pm CT

Get familiar with MCBA’s screen printing studio and practice the photo emulsion process, from positive creation and screen coating to exposure and reclaiming. Each participant will complete an edition of multi-layered screen prints and come away from the workshop with the confidence to work independently at MCBA’s Screen Print Labs.

Create your design positives using hand-drawn artwork and/or cut paper stencils. Bring your sketches and ideas to the workshop. Final designs should fit on a letter-sized sheet of paper (maximum width 8.5 inches) and may include up to two colors. Continue reading “Introduction to Screen Printing: September”

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Letterpress 1: Printing Basics (September)

with Leah Klister
Saturday, September 21; 10am–4pm CT

This in-person letterpress workshop offers an introduction to MCBA’s print studio—including key equipment, tools, and terminology—in addition to an opportunity to experience the satisfaction of printing a message through the hands-on process of letterpress printing. Get to know MCBA’s wood type collection and learn beginning typesetting with wood type. Learn the basics of working with a flatbed cylinder press, including operation, safety, and care while building skills using the equipment with support from a teaching artist. In pairs, choose a text (three to five words) and print your own small edition of posters on a Vandercook press.  Continue reading “Letterpress 1: Printing Basics (September)”

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Art Share for MCBA Members

with Anika Schneider
Tuesday, September 24; 6:30–8:30pm CT

Art Share provides MCBA members an opportunity to connect and inspire each other’s creative practice. Join other MCBA members in MCBA’s studios and take turns sharing about your artwork and responding to others’ artwork in a safe and supportive space. MCBA’s Director of Exhibitions & Artist Programs will facilitate and watch the time for each speaker, but it is up to each artist to direct the conversation during their designated time, when they can choose to share or ask questions and receive feedback from the group. Continue reading “Art Share for MCBA Members”

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Screen Print: Guided Projects

with Ben Etten
Thursdays: September 26, October 10, 24; 6–9pm CT

Have an idea for a print but not sure where to start? Stuck in the middle of a project and in need of help? Or, are you interested in taking your screen printing skills to the next level? Join this unique in-person workshop designed for screen printers with introductory-level experience and a desire to create an independent project with guidance.

As a group, we’ll go in-depth on design, registration, editioning, and troubleshooting through discussion, examples, and demonstrations. We’ll help each participant apply those topics to individual projects. The goal is to come away from the workshop with the skills and techniques needed to take your printing to the next level in a supportive community of fellow printers. It’s likely that you will also come away with some cool new prints! So bring your new ideas, bring your half-finished projects, bring your troubleshooting questions, and we will work through them together. Continue reading “Screen Print: Guided Projects”

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Photo-Transfer Artist’s Books

with Chris Davenport
Saturday, September 28; 10am–4pm CT

Explore photo-transfer techniques using found and made imagery to create visual narratives in artist’s books in this playful and experimental in-person workshop. In addition to discovering low-tech photography techniques, we will design and bind our narratives using several original adhesive binding structures well-suited to photography. Continue reading “Photo-Transfer Artist’s Books”

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Letterpress 2: Setting Type (October)

with Bethany Rahn
Thursdays: October 10 & 17; 6–9pm CT

This in-person letterpress workshop focuses on setting metal type and building familiarity with printing on the Vandercook press. Learn how to navigate MCBA’s type collection, how type is stored and organized, and how to arrange it in a composing stick for setting a text. Training will be provided on line justification, kerning (space between letters and words), and methods for holding type together (or “locking up” a form) for printing. Procedures for maintaining a community type collection and print studio will also be covered, in addition to a review of basic press operation, care, and safety. This workshop is an excellent refresher and opportunity to get reacquainted with MCBA’s presses and print studio. Continue reading “Letterpress 2: Setting Type (October)”

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Pattern Design: Digital and Analog Techniques

with Camilo Aguirre
Saturdays: October 12, 19, 26; 10:30–11:30am CT

Explore organic and figurative patterns and how to make them using digital tools and analog techniques using a variety of tiles, motifs, and elements. In this virtual workshop, learn ways to understand and appreciate design patterns and how to implement different strategies to create your own patterns. Last, we’ll look at how to use graphic media to reflect on culture by creating image systems with the elements you choose to use and the way you build your pattern. Continue reading “Pattern Design: Digital and Analog Techniques”

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Letterpress 1: Printing Basics (October)

with Bethany Rahn
Saturday, October 19; 10am–4pm CT

This in-person letterpress workshop offers an introduction to MCBA’s print studio—including key equipment, tools, and terminology—in addition to an opportunity to experience the satisfaction of printing a message through the hands-on process of letterpress printing. Get to know MCBA’s wood type collection and learn beginning typesetting with wood type. Learn the basics of working with a flatbed cylinder press, including operation, safety, and care while building skills using the equipment with support from a teaching artist. In pairs, choose a text (three to five words) and print your own small edition of posters on a Vandercook press.  Continue reading “Letterpress 1: Printing Basics (October)”