This skyline feature of the Chicago Together logo was created by a young artist, Aurora Grajada, through a program sponsored by Marwen, hosted in part by Spudnik Press.

Marwen, an after-school arts organization, created a program called Design to Print, to give 10 high school students the experience of working with clients to design a line of greeting cards. They first worked at Marwen to design the cards, then came to Spudnik to gain the experience of working in a professional shop, screenprinting their designs. Spudnik Press is thrilled to be working with younger artists and hopes to continue offering more opportunities like this for Chicago youth!

A quote from the Chicago Together website:

“Lifelong Chicagoan Aurora Grajeda has studied art at Marwen since 2008, where she created the image “Falling for the City.” She is a graduating senior at Lindblom Math and Science Academy and lives on Chicago’s South Side with her parents and younger brother. She plans to attend Grand Valley State University to pursue the visual and performing arts and Chinese studies. About her work, Grajeda says, “I often set my goals to reach a high point of happiness with my art and make it appeal to others as well.””

The new and improved Spudnik Press Cooperative now boasts two private studio spaces. The North Studio is 150 square foot, has great natural light, hardwood floors, includes unlimited access to the entire print shop and general materials, included utilities, plus an invitation to curate a show at Spudnik Press. Rent is $325/month with a 6-month initial lease. The ideal candidate will have advanced experience in one or more areas of printmaking.

Spudnik Press Studio Application

We will begin reviewing applications on May 20th. Applications will be accepted until the studio is leased.

On Sunday, May 1st, Spudnik Press hosted an open house in our awesome new space! People enjoyed print making demos while drinking wine and snacking on home made muffins baked by our vice president, Allison Klieman. The demos represented many mediums available at Spudnik. Etching, letter press, lithography, screen printing, and more! Thanks to everyone who came by. We hope to see new faces in the future!

Hands on print demos for all ages!

Screen print your own sticker station

An etching demo with Jeremy Lundquist

Jeremy demonstrating how to ink up and print a Litho Pronto Plate

An early start to print making!

Matt Messemer shows how to ink a Japanese style woodcut

This five-block image was printed beginning to end during Matt’s demo!

Four of our all-star printers are curating an exhibition that will be part of the Milwaukee Avenue Arts Festival. The application deadline is June 1. For all the details, download theMAAF Calling Home Entry.

Calling Home

Curators: Liz Born, Michelle Mashon, Matthew Messmer, Jill Nahrstedt for Spudnik Press

Exhibition Description

What defines “home”? How do we make “home”? Is “home” exclusively a physical place? Must it be permanent or can it be transient? Can it be taken away or rebuilt?

We see a common thread through many of today’s current issues that implore us to ask these questions; issues of immigration, foreclosures and natural disasters have led us to redefine & examine our ideas of “home”. In tandem with Spudnik Press, Calling Home will be show of print-based works (books and sculptural print-based works also encouraged) that explore how different artists define & question the identity of home through their experiences.

Janet Davies, of ABC’s 190 North, recently spent an evening at Drink & Draw. Thank you 190 North for helping share what we do!

If you want to skip the advertisements, go straight to ABC’s website

This Spring, Spudnik embarked on an epic mission to expand the boundaries of community printmaking!

We just launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring to life 3 letterpresses & an offset press. Once we complete this project, we can share our movable type and photo polymer plate equipment with Chicago artists. We will also provide unprecedented opportunities for Chicago artists to use offset printing to create self-published zines, newsletters, comics, chapbooks, and other printed ephemera.

Our kickstarter campaign will culminate in a permanent series of community letterpress classes and affordable use of our presses through our Open Studio program.

To help our cause, pledge our project, tell your friends, and think up print-based projects!

Even if you are dirt poor, I highly encourage you to at least watch the video. The amazing time-based art was created by Kyle Obriot!

Spudnik Press Cooperative from Andrew Roddewig on Vimeo.

Spudnik Press has been invited to participate in an exciting event called “What’s Your Art“. This is a collaboration between Sixty Inches from Center and WBEZ as part of their Off Air Series to showcase unique art centers within Chicago.

To help promote Chicago’s vibrant array of art centers, Sixty Inches put together promotional videos for each space involved in the project.

The culminating event will be June 4th from 1-5 pm at the Chicago Cultural Center. Throughout the afternoon, each center will demonstrate the creative activities that enrich their community.

Between now and June 4th visit any of the ten Art Centers and pick up a “What’s Your Art?” validation card, then see how many centers you can visit between now and June 4th. There will be prizes for those who visit 2,4,6,8, or all 10 at the June 4th event.

Awesome, right?

Check out the first print ever made on our Line-O-Scribe Letterpress! This is one of three presses that are new to Spudnik. Once it’s up and running, it’ll be perfect for larger linoleum and block prints! Soon this press will be available for use at Open Studio! Keep your eyes peeled for updates.

Stop judging our typography choice and go put together the proposal you’ve been dreaming about!
That’s right! You’ve got an extra week!

Download the simple (and fun?) application here!

The Hashbrown Fundraiser was an amazing event, and the first event in our new space!
People enjoyed tastes of chili made by 12 different print makers while walking around and gazing at art on the walls, or leafing through books. The room was packed and filled with conversation, and everyone came together to make our fundraiser a success.

Click here to continue following our Space Race!

The coveted Golden Squeeges were given to SAIC Student Print Shop for Best Meat Chili, and Hummingbird Press for the Best Vegetarian Chili.

Our new darkroom has lots of extra space for people to mingle and move around in.

Thanks to Hornswaggler who provided a bar with creative and delicious cocktails!

Here is our Fall 2010 Intern, Aaron, delicately balancing and enjoying a drink and a cup of chili!

A group of people admiring the lovely work of our Fall 2010 artist-in-residence, Sanya Glisic.

Thanks to everyone who attended the Hashbrown for making it a great night, and to all the volunteers who helped make it happen. We hope to see new faces in the new space!

As we gear up to move this spring, we are looking for a variety of tools. We are hoping to have much donated as we suspect some of these items might be sitting in closets going unused. E-mail or call us if you have something you would like to donate!

Small Items:

Cordless telephone
Flat head screwdriver
6 pairs of scissors
6 exacto knives
3 stacking or folding stools
6 soft speedball brayers, 3-6”
push broom
tear bar
spray bottles
paint brushes (small and large)
joint compound
white wall paint
paint rollers
letterpress inks

Large Items:

kitchen cabinets
photocopier
plate cutter
large drying rack
automated screenprinting press
vacuum exposure table
vandercook letterpress
2-4 flat files
hot plate
microgauges and steel bed for for Conrad E-24 etching press
36″x48″ self-healing cutting mat
risograph machine

Sunday, Jan. 30, was the first Art Documentation Day at Spudnik Press. It was definitely a long day, but rewarding as well. One thing that was fun that I didn’t expect was getting to see some work outside the field of print media. Thanks Maureen for making it happen! And thanks to everyone who participated.

We hope to do this again down the road.