The Residency Program at Spudnik Press offers studio space to artists working in printmaking media to produce new work. We welcome experienced printmakers from Chicago and beyond to work at Spudnik Press for a period of two to six weeks. Resident Artists enjoy 24-access to the entire studio and receive general support from our printmaking staff. We design the duration, focus, and activities of each residency based on the needs and priorities of each individual artist. It is our intention to  provide resident artists with a supportive environment where they can develop a body of work, fostering creative growth and exploration of both traditional and innovative printmaking techniques.

In exchange, resident artists play an integral role in the Spudnik Press community, bringing new perspectives, experiences, and knowledge to our members and the broader public through a variety of public events and leaving a part of their prints with our press. Public programs are shaped by each artist’s skills and interests and have included artist talks, panel discussions, portfolio reviews with Spudnik members, workshops, and exhibitions.

Expectations

• Residents are expected to make full and regular use of Spudnik Press facilities (Roughly 3+ days per week, depending on the project and duration of the residency). Resident artists receive one flat file drawer, 24-hour access, the option to reserve equipment, and shared workspace, but no private studio.
• Residents receive a thorough orientation to Spudnik Press facilities and light technical support from staff. However, residents should be knowledgeable enough to generally work independently in the printmaking processes required for their project. Please address any need for specific or additional assistance in the cover letter.
• Resident Artists will present some form of public program or event, customized around the skills and interests of the artist and the Spudnik Press community.
• Spudnik Press will retain a portion of the finished artwork produced through the residency. Sales of these artworks provide the critical funding to sustain this program.

Eligibility
The Residency Program is committed to serving:

• Artists who are able to commit 2-6 weeks to a single, print-based project.
• Artists with a clear proposed residency project that is specific to their unique practice.
• Artists with an interest in engaging with the Spudnik Press community.
• Artists who are able to provide or coordinate their own travel, lodging, and local transportation during the residency.
• Artists with enough printmaking experience to work independently in the studio, with only light technical support from staff.

Important Dates

• Application Deadline: Sunday, November 2, 2025
• Finalists Selected: by Monday, November 24, 2025
• Final Notification:  by Monday December 8, 2025
• Residency Period: February 1 – December 31, 2026
• Duration: Two to six weeks (local applicants are encouraged to apply for the full six weeks)

To Apply
Please submit the following materials to residency@spudnikpress.org. All documents should be PDFs:

• Letter of interest (no more than one page): Please address the general scope of your project, what equipment and materials the project will require, an overview of your experience in printmaking, public programming preferences or ideas, ideal length of a residency, any restrictions around dates, and anything else you like us to consider that is not covered by other parts of the application.
• Project Statement (no more than one page): Proposals should be well-defined and present a clear overview of the type and scope of work that you will produce. You do not need to specify exact edition sizes, print sizes, etc.
• Portfolio of 7-10 Images: Images must not exceed 1MB each and should be titled with your name and a file number. Work should be recent and include print-based art when possible.
• Image List: For each work, include the file name, title, medium, year of completion, and dimensions.
• Current Resume or CV (Optional–note: a lack of exhibition history should not deter potential residents from applying)

We will also accept a video submission of no more than 10 minutes for those who may need to use a different format from a written proposal. Please reach out to us at Info@spudnikpress.org  if you need assistance in creating an application or if there are additional accommodations needed concerning the submission format.

Spudnik Press Cooperative encourages applications from artists from all backgrounds, including underrepresented groups that include (but are not limited to) artists of color, LGBTQ artists, women artists, and artists with disabilities. Our Accessibility page includes additional information about getting to the studio and using the equipment. Any requests for accommodations can occur upon finalist notification or acceptance.

Selection Process
Residency applications are reviewed by a jury comprised of staff, studio members, and artists. Decisions are based on the quality of the proposal, the strength of the portfolio, and the applicant’s ability to work independently while maintaining their own point of view. While résumés and CVs may provide helpful context, the jury’s main focus will be on the applicant’s work, process, and residency proposal. A lack of exhibition history should not deter potential residents from applying. Staff will conduct in-person or virtual studio visits with all finalists to assess technical skills and discuss public presentation and programming opportunities.

Our Facilities
Our studio houses professional facilities and rare equipment for a wide variety of traditional print processes and fine art publishing. The 4,800 sq. ft. space includes shared work areas, private studios, and mixed-use spaces for exhibitions, classes, and community events.

Our print studio supports a range of techniques, including intaglio, relief, risography, and screen printing. For a detailed list of our equipment and facilities, click here

Any inquiries regarding our Residency Program can be directed to info@spudnikpress.org

Our Volunteer Studio Monitor Open Call provides interested artists with printmaking experience 6 months of 24/7 access to our professional facilities, a flat file, and opportunities to expand their printmaking and studio tech skills. Through a weekly 4-hour commitment, Volunteer Studio Monitors support our Open Studio Hours while becoming more familiar with the Spudnik Press community. 

Open Studio at Spudnik Press provides studio access at a reduced price and is available to all who can print independently. You can learn more about the Open Studio sessions that we offer here. Each Volunteer Studio Monitor leads an Open Studio session each week. Their responsibilities include:

• Welcoming and supporting all guests
• Providing basic troubleshooting and printing assistance
• Collecting payments
• Restocking supplies, cleaning, and organizing the studio
• Seeking opportunities to improve the facilities at Spudnik Press

To fulfill these duties, all Volunteer Studio Monitors receive:

• 24/7 Keyholder access for the duration of their monitoring
• Authorization on all Spudnik Press facilities
• A flat file drawer to store work
• General orientation about the organization and their role
• Technical training on the various printmaking equipment at Spudnik Press

Important Dates:

• Deadline to sign-up: August 25, 2025
• Zoom Orientation: September 3, 2024
• In-Person Orientation: September 7, 2025
• Monitoring schedule: starts September 8, 2025

SUBMIT INTEREST TO VOLUNTEER

——————–

Programs at Spudnik Press are partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and Builder’s Initiative.

This project is partially supported by a Chicago Arts Recovery Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Still, we’re not scaling back our mission. We’re doubling down on what matters:

• Affordable access to professional printmaking equipment

• Hands-on education rooted in empowerment

• A community-centered space where artists of all backgrounds can make work, share ideas, and grow

To do all that, we need to raise $55,000 by December 2.

While we welcome donations, we are really asking for you to buy an amazing print from our archive now. We have worked with many amazing artists over the years and the works we have in our flat files should be gracing your walls.

Where We Are

We’ve always done a lot with a little. Just three full-time staff members (plus an amazing crew of teaching artists and studio monitors) keep this place running day in and day out—providing access to 12 presses and printmaking stations, managing artist residencies, teaching classes, keeping the ink flowing, and saying yes to as many creative experiments as we can.

Over the last few years, we’ve invested in deeper community partnerships, better staff pay, and more subsidized programs..

But we’re at a tipping point.

The cost of keeping our space accessible has gone up—while many of the funding streams we’ve relied on for years have been reduced or eliminated altogether. And while we’re actively reimagining a stronger business model, we can’t stabilize without your help.

DONATE NOW

What Your Support Makes Possible

Let’s talk real numbers:

• $329 is what we subsidize each full-price, 4-hour open studio session through grants and donations

• $369 is what we’d have to charge per session without that subsidy (and yes, ink is still free)

• 3,000+ studio hours are offered annually to artists

• 6 resident artists will be supported in 2026—if we reach our goal

• 8 subsidized workshops and 4 mentorship classes are planned next year—if we can fund them

We don’t want to scale back. We want to keep showing up with open doors, generous ink, and a belief that everyone deserves access to the tools of print.

How You Can Help

• Buy a print from the archive

• Donate

• Book a private workshop

• Print your projects with us

• Come have a drink with us! Come to our re-launch of Drink & Draw on August 13. There will be beer, paper, pencils, conversations, and commiseration. Pay what you can — suggested donation: $10-20

• Share this campaign with friends who believe in independent art

Every dollar helps.

Help us make sure Spudnik doesn’t just survive this moment, but keeps growing into the studio we all know it can be—one that’s bold, welcoming, a little bit scrappy, and full of inky joy.

From June 9 thru June 11, event attendees were able to participate in our screenprinting demonstration led by Spudnik Press teaching artists Rob Kelsey and Anders Zanichkowsky. Check out some of the activity highlights below:

Visitors of the Spudnik Press tent tried out screenprinting their own tote bags featuring a different graphic design for each day of the event!

About the Event:

Each June, over 40,000 people from across the global design community gather in Chicago for the Fulton Market Design Days to celebrate the latest in design and architecture, sharing product news and participating in a variety of events across the Windy City. The Fulton Market District welcomes top design professionals and enthusiasts to enjoy product launches, exhibits, and events.

About Oetee:

Oetee is a full-service design and fabrication company dedicated to crafting branded environments. From conception to construction (and often beyond), they collaborate with clients to achieve spatial success.

We have so much gratitude and appreciation for the people who attended, volunteered, took on the Print Battle Arena, sponsored the evening, bought arena ads, bought tickets, got the word out about Spudnik, and the many other ways they showed support.

Your contributions help us continue with our mission of maintaining an affordable and approachable community print shop. We hope you visit again soon. For now, lets re-live the memories of the fun-filled celebration!

Thank you to the following:

Arena Advertisers | Chicago for Chigagoans, Chicago Printmakers Guild, Chicago Graphic Design Club, Busy Beaver Buttons & Merch, Off Color Brewing, Soberscove Press, The Visualist, Boundary Chicago, Purple Window Gallery, and Roman Susan.

Event Sponsors | Hallagan’s, Speedball Art, Marz Brewing, Revolution Brewing, and Will’s Place

Event Volunteers | Jessica Shapiro, Libby Donnelly, Alec Espinola, Quincy Kras, Liam Guiritan, Elena Franck, Elke Claus, Yuchen Fu, Muchen Wang, Rom Cuevo, Denedjah Peak, Sky Cohen, Sarah, and Ani Johnson.

Host Committee |Holly Cahill, Nicholas D’Alessandro, Sara Dennis, Adele Henning, Jaclyn Jacunski, Julia Klein, Quincey Kras, Sarah Lentz, Duncan MacKenzie, and Dutes Miller

Annual Supporters | Illinois Arts Council, Driehaus Foundation, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Vermont Community Foundation, and numerous individual donors

This summer, we are offering 2 fully-funded workshops to 2 local organizations who are interested in a creative workshop at Spudnik Press for their community members.

Apply Now

About the Program:

Launched in 2024, the Subsidized Workshop Program aims to provide organizations with the opportunity to explore the art of printmaking in a supportive and creative environment. Each workshop will be taught by a resident Teaching Artist at Spudnik Press and participating organizations may choose from an array of printmaking topics or techniques.

Workshop Options:

• 1-Day Drypoint Printing
• 1-Day Block Printing
• 1-Day Screenprinting on Paper
• 1-Day Monotype 101
• 1-Day Letterpress DIY Postcards

Application Period: May 1 – May 30, 2025

How to Apply:

Interested organizations are invited to submit their applications through this form.

We are kindly requesting the following details on your application:

• brief description of the organization
• your organization’s mission
• how or why it would benefit from a subsidized printmaking workshop at Spudnik

This initiative aims to support and engage Chicago’s vibrant community organizations in the art of printmaking. We encourage organizations of all sizes and missions to apply.

Two organizations will be notified on or before June 21, 2025.

Workshop Schedule:

The recipient organizations will have the opportunity to schedule their free workshops between August 1 through September 30. Spudnik Press will work with the organizations to determine the most suitable workshop date and time.

For inquiries, please email the Managing Director at yang@spudnikpress.org.

We believe in art’s impact on lives and communities and we are excited to partner with Chicago-based organizations to bring the joy of printmaking to more individuals. We look forward to receiving your applications!

Apply Now

——————–

Programs at Spudnik Press are partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the Driehaus Foundation, and the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation.

This project is partially supported by a Chicago Arts Recovery Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Together with our friends from Arts of Life and Latitude Chicago, we welcomed print enthusiasts for a first look at the monoprints that were created during the program’s duration. We’re delighted to share snapshots of this very engaging evening!

Shop the Exhibition Here

Featured Artists:

Joshi Radin Flores | Steve Harhaj | Kelly Kristin Jones | Colleen Keihm | Alysha Kostelny | Nyeema Morgan | Siena Peterson | Alex Scott | Candace Turner

Dates:

March 14, 2025 – April 12, 2025

Visiting the Exhibition:

Visitors can make an appointment by emailing info@spudnikpress.org. Please include the date and time you would like to visit, and number of people in your party. We are typically able to accommodate visits between 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday – Saturday and occasional weeknights.

About the Exhibition:

“PRESSed together” is the culminating group show of the artist cohort of Spudnik’s inaugural Community Mentorship Program. This exhibition is a collaboration of multiple communities with Spudnik Press, with 8 selected artists engaging in 6 weekly sessions on monotype printing under the guidance of Spudnik Press Teaching Artist and Mentor Anders Zanichkowsky. The curated prints from the program duration are available for purchase, benefiting participating artists, the organizations they represent, and Spudnik Press.

Shop the Exhibition Here

About the Program:

The Spudnik Press Community Mentorship Program allows self-identifying artists from partner organizations to explore and immerse in a specific printmaking process. Different from a one-time Subsidized Workshop, this approach focuses on deepening skills over time while fostering artistic growth and incorporating a social aspect, exposing participating artists to community members of other organizations.

The inaugural cohort is made up of 8 artists from Arts of Life and Latitude Chicago. They will engage in 6 weekly sessions of monotype printing, focusing on creating unique “one-of-one” prints and working quickly through ideas and iterations.

Participating Organizations:

Arts of Life is a Chicago organization that advances the creative arts community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and strengthen their leadership skills.

Latitude Chicago is a nonprofit community digital lab in Chicago that maintains high-end printing and scanning equipment, processes 35mm and 120 color negative film, operates an artist in residence program, and organizes ongoing arts programming.

——————–

Programs at Spudnik Press are partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the Driehaus Foundation, and the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation.

This project is partially supported by a Chicago Arts Recovery Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

The Teaching Artist will fulfill core* educational offerings on Risography at Spudnik Press through teaching introductory and advanced classes, private lessons, and have the opportunity to develop custom lessons for private workshops and/or special community events that build upon their personal artistic practice.

Teaching Artists at Spudnik Press accrue experience in teaching varied groups and build on their personal art practice through their full access to our facilities, where they can also be collaborative and make lasting connections within our community.

*Core classes have existing syllabi available and Teaching Artists are welcome to execute them as-written or propose modifications.

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Enthusiastic about printmaking and co learning
• Minimum one (1) year teaching experience preferred
• Familiarity with Google Workspace applications
• Located in the Chicago metropolitan area with reliable transportation to and from our studio, located at 1821 W Hubbard
• Able to commit a minimum of 12 hours per month
• Experience developing and implementing a structured and responsive class curriculum
• Self driven, independent work ethic in various printmaking skill sets
• Reliable and committed communicator

COMPENSATION

• $35/hour for private lessons and group classes
• Optional class conversion** for group classes at $23/hour
• 24/7 Keyholder access for the duration of their teaching residency
• Provision of a flat file for their classes and their own work
• Free registration to Spudnik Press classes for the duration of their teaching residency

**The optional class conversion addendum provides Teaching Artists the option and decision to either conduct or cancel group classes that do not meet minimum registration.

PHYSICAL WORK & ENVIRONMENT

Spudnik Press is located in the West Hubbard Lofts at 1821 W Hubbard St, Suite 302 and is wheelchair accessible. Please review our accessibility notice here. We have several printmaking studios which include; Screenprinting, Risography, Letterpress, Relief & Monoprinting, and Intaglio.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Application Fee: None; Free to apply
• Deadline To Apply:  April 4, 2025 at 11:59pm
• Final Notification: April 18, 2025
• Onboarding: April 23 and 28, 2025
• Classes Begin: week of May 19, 2025
• Duration: approx. 4 months (late May thru August 2025)

APPLICATION

Submit your cover letter, CV, portfolio with an image list, and an example of a previously taught printmaking syllabus to info@spudnikpress.org with subject line “RISO Teaching Artist Application | 2025 Summer.” All application materials should be submitted as one PDF.

Portfolio should consist of 5-7 images:  Images must not exceed 1MB each. Work should include print-based work and work from the last three years. Please provide title, medium, year of completion, and dimensions for each work in your Image List.

Spudnik Press will not replicate or share your submitted syllabus with the broader public as it remains your intellectual property.

For inquiries, please email Managing Director yang@spudnikpress.org.

——————–

Programs at Spudnik Press are partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the Driehaus Foundation, and the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation.

This project is partially supported by a Chicago Arts Recovery Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Featured Artists:

Joshi Radin Flores | Steve Harhaj | Kelly Kristin Jones | Colleen Keihm | Alysha Kostelny | Nyeema Morgan | Siena Peterson | Alex Scott | Candace Turner

Dates:

March 14, 2025 – April 12, 2025

Location:

Spudnik Press Annex Gallery

Event:

PRESSed Together | Opening Reception

Friday, March 14

5:00pm CST

Visiting the Exhibition:

Visitors can make an appointment by emailing info@spudnikpress.org. Please include the date and time you would like to visit, and number of people in your party. We are typically able to accommodate visits between 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday – Saturday and occasional weeknights.

About the Exhibition:

“PRESSed together” is the culminating group show of the artist cohort of Spudnik’s inaugural Community Mentorship Program. This exhibition is a collaboration of multiple communities with Spudnik Press, with 8 selected artists engaging in 6 weekly sessions on monotype printing under the guidance of Spudnik Press Teaching Artist and Mentor Anders Zanichkowsky. The curated prints from the program duration are available for purchase, benefiting participating artists, the organizations they represent, and Spudnik Press.

About the Cohort:

Joshi Radin Flores

Joshi Radin Flores is an artist and writer living in Chicago. Working independently and collaboratively, she generates and examines practices of valuation and questions investigating nature, cosmology and expanded landscape. She completed MFA (2016) and MA (2018) degrees in Photography and Visual and Critical Studies as a New Artist Society merit scholar at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her collaborative artist research group with Linda Tegg and Brian M. John, A Program for Plants, received a Shapiro Center EAGER grant for their investigations with plants and empathy. She has performed at Queens Museum, exhibited in the US and abroad, presented at conferences on art and ecology and published essays on art and nature. She had her first solo show of photographic works in the fall of 2017 and held the 2017 Dangler Curatorial Fellowship at The Art Institute of Chicago. She currently lectures in the photography department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Steve Harhaj

Born in Chicago in 1949, Steve Harhaj joined the Chicago Studio in 2007. As an artist driven by process, repetition, and an interest in the natural world, Harhaj layers color and form to create idyllic landscapes populated by decoratively stylized imagery – chirping birds, perky tulips and daisies, ruffly clouds within clouds, and singular almond-shaped leaves that appear to float mid-air. Working across painting, drawing, and collage, his compositions are usually anchored by arches, multicolored grids, or radiating square patterns he describes as boxes, and given charmingly descriptive titles like Trees + Flowers + Leaves + Birds or Box Box Box Box Box Box Fence. He also often incorporates elements typical of classic Americana such as stars, American flags, county fairs, and picket fences. Using these recurring motifs, archetypal symbols, and patterns, he has devised an easily recognizable aesthetic reminiscent of folk art, and artists like William L. Hawkins and Morris Hirschfield.

Kelly Kristin Jones

Kelly Kristin Jones was raised on the West Side of Chicago and received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is the recipient of a number of awards and fellowships including a 2024 Illinois Arts Council Artist Fellowship Award and an Individual Artists Program Grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. She was a featured artist in the 2021 Chicago Architecture Biennial and the 2023 Chicago Humanities Festival.

Colleen Keihm

Colleen Keihm (born in Levittown, NY and currently residing in Chicago, IL) received her BS from Drexel University and her MFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is currently the Executive Director of Latitude which maintains a community digital lab and artist residency. Her work has been exhibited in Chicago at Flatland, Roman Susan, Filter Photo, and Tiger Strikes Asteroid. She has been an artist in residence at Hatch Projects at the Chicago Artist Coalition, Institut fur alles Mogliche in Berlin, Germany, and Writing Space in Chicago. Her work is a part of the photography collection at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Photography, and she is a proud member of the Midwest Photographers Project.

Alysha Kostelny

Born and raised in Chicago, Alysha Kostelny currently lives on the Northwest Side. Kostelny’s approach to art-making is driven by experimentation, curiosity, and an exploration of various surfaces, textures, and applications of paint. She enjoys researching modern and contemporary artists, gleaning inspiration from myriad concepts and processes. Kostelny has a natural inclination toward hard-edge abstraction, though her work often straddles both abstraction and representation. Drawn to simplified organic forms and geometric shapes, she translates source imagery (often referencing art history, architecture, or the natural world) through reductive, bold color fields.

Nyeema Morgan

Nyeema Morgan’s work references familiar cultural material such as recipes, fables, canonical artworks and jokes to prompt reflection on the soft aesthetic power of systems of knowledge, information production and the mechanics of representation. Her conceptually layered works, ranging from large-scale drawings to sculptural installation and print based media, raise questions about how we articulate and construct meaning within a complex system of socio-political relations.

Siena Peterson

Siena Peterson is an interdisciplinary artist based in Chicago, IL. Her art practice is made up of various media including oil paint, charcoal, and performance work. Her work is an ongoing study of the personal battle of one’s internal and external self and is a way for her to document the bodily space that we inhibit and emotional depth hidden within. She received her BFA from The University of Illinois at Chicago in Interdisciplinary Education within the Arts and a minor in Fine Arts. Her work has been featured at The Hyde Park Art Center, Martin Gallery, Fulton Street Art Collective, and Figure One Gallery, among others. She was a selected resident of the LAUNCH Invitational Residency at the Chicago Artists Coalition in 2019, as well as the DAWA Artist Residency and Bridge Residency Cohort in 2022.

Alex Scott

Alex Scott was born in 1987 and is a Chicago native. Known for his use of simplified forms and flat, bright colors, Scott’s fresh, direct approach to drawing and painting embodies a sense of nostalgia. His preferred materials are ballpoint pen, colored pencils, and acrylic. Scott’s influences range from cartoons and comics to classic mystery-comedy movies to children’s books, gaining continued inspiration from favorite books once read – The Phantom Tollbooth, Sam and the Firefly, In a People House by Dr. Suess, as well as books found in the studio. Neat arrangements of recurring characters, household objects, numbers, text, and symbols are frequently organized by letters of the alphabet and at times appear reminiscent of hieroglyphics. He often repetitively recreates past drawings or characters from memory with ease and accuracy, which results in slightly shifting iterations over years. This ongoing body of work exists across both individual works on paper and series of drawings in distinct sketchbooks. Recent exhibitions include EXPO Chicago, the Outsider Art Fair in NYC, Hand Drawn Circle at Intuit, and Dog Show curated by KG, among others. His work is part of the ArtBank permanent collection in McCook, Nebraska.

Candace Turner

Born in 1990, Candace spent most of her 20s living at the notorious Shapiro Developmental Center, Illinois’s largest state institution. In 2019 she transitioned into a community setting, something she describes as having “saved” her. Candaces work embodies the sense of freedom she feels having been able to leave the institution. Groups of tattooed, scantily clad women imbue confidence as they lounge at the beach, dance together in their home, or pose nude in compositions that allude to historical masterpieces. Simple line work and flat fields of color create a consistent, distinct style that reflects Candace’s years of commitment to her practice. Candace’s brilliance is still blossoming as she embraces her freedom and develops a sense of self as a professional artist and a self actualized individual.

Program Mentor:

Anders Zanichkowsky came to Chicago in 2019 after getting their MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where they concentrated in printmaking and religious art & studies. They are an interdisciplinary artist who also works in papermaking, textiles, neon, video, poetry, and performance, and they are the owner of Burial Blankets, weaving custom shrouds for green burial that are meant for enjoyment and reflection during life.

In 2016 Anders was an artist in residence with The Arctic Circle sailing expedition in Svalbard, and their work has been shown across the U.S. and abroad including The Wisconsin Film Festival and the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art. Anders has taught all ages and backgrounds with a focus on printmaking, drawing, and DIY-style professional development for working artists, including while on staff at Spudnik from 2019 – 2021.

Program Curators:

Jill Nahrstedt is an artist, mother, surfer, and traveler exploring relationships between the self and place. She accomplishes this through the use of color and images in her paintings, pivoting between realism and abstraction, combining them both in some pieces. Jill is seeking the layers that make a life.

She is the founder and curator of Far North Side Gallery, a micro gallery in Chicago. Her work has been shown throughout the United States and can be found on several walls as Murals in Chicago where she lives with her husband and two children. Nahrstedt also prints serigraphs of local architectural groupings, dabbles in surf art, and paints portraits of stranger-neighbors she sources from social media.

Yang Pulongbarit-Cuevo is a papercut artist based in Chicago who began as a political cartoonist in the Philippines. Her work often draws inspiration from nature, anatomy, music, and folklore.

As an immigrant born and raised in an archipelago with rich cultural heritage contrasted by a history of political unrest, Pulongbarit-Cuevo also creates pieces informed by societal observations and emotional abstraction. Her work has been shown in exhibitions in California, New York, Illinois, and the Philippines, as well as publications including The Chicago Reader. She is currently serving as a board member for the Guild of American Papercutters and is working as managing director for Spudnik Press. On weekends, she hosts a weekly show for 107.1FM, an independent radio station in North Center Chicago.

Participating Organizations:

Arts of Life is a Chicago organization that advances the creative arts community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and strengthen their leadership skills.

Latitude Chicago is a nonprofit community digital lab in Chicago that maintains high-end printing and scanning equipment, processes 35mm and 120 color negative film, operates an artist in residence program, and organizes ongoing arts programming.

——————–

Programs at Spudnik Press are partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the Driehaus Foundation, and the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation.

This project is partially supported by a Chicago Arts Recovery Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Logo designed by Riesling Dong

Our Studio Monitor Open Call provides interested volunteers who have printmaking experience with 6 months of 24/7 access to our professional facilities, a flat file, and opportunities to expand their printmaking and studio tech skills. Through a weekly 4-hour commitment, Volunteer Studio Monitors support our Open Studio Hours while becoming more familiar with the Spudnik Press community. 

Open Studio at Spudnik Press provides studio access at a reduced price and is available to all who can print independently. You can learn more about the Open Studio sessions that we offer here. Each Volunteer Studio Monitor leads an Open Studio session each week. Their responsibilities include:

• Welcoming and supporting all guests
• Providing basic troubleshooting and printing assistance
• Collecting payments
• Restocking supplies, cleaning, and organizing the studio
• Seeking opportunities to improve the facilities at Spudnik Press

To fulfill these duties, all Volunteer Studio Monitors receive:

• 24/7 Keyholder access for the duration of their monitoring
• Authorization on all Spudnik Press facilities
• A flat file drawer to store work
• General orientation about the organization and their role
• Technical training on the various printmaking equipment at Spudnik Press

Important Dates:

• Deadline to sign-up: February 23, 2025
• Zoom interviews starting: February 24, 2025
• Zoom Orientation: March 5, 2024
• In-Person Orientation: March 9, 2025
• Monitoring schedule: starts March 10, 2025

——————–

Programs at Spudnik Press are partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and Builder’s Initiative.

This project is partially supported by a Chicago Arts Recovery Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

The Spudnik Press Community Mentorship Program allows self-identifying artists from partner organizations to explore and immerse in a specific printmaking process. Different from a one-time Subsidized Workshop, this approach focuses on deepening skills over time while fostering artistic growth and incorporating a social aspect, exposing participating artists to community members of other organizations.

The inaugural cohort is made up of 8 artists from Arts of Life and Latitude Chicago. They will engage in 6 weekly sessions of monotype printing, focusing on creating unique “one-of-one” prints and working quickly through ideas and iterations.

Program Mentor:

Anders Zanichkowsky came to Chicago in 2019 after getting their MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where they concentrated in printmaking and religious art & studies. They are an interdisciplinary artist who also works in papermaking, textiles, neon, video, poetry, and performance, and they are the owner of Burial Blankets, weaving custom shrouds for green burial that are meant for enjoyment and reflection during life.

In 2016 Anders was an artist in residence with The Arctic Circle sailing expedition in Svalbard, and their work has been shown across the U.S. and abroad including The Wisconsin Film Festival and the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art. Anders has taught all ages and backgrounds with a focus on printmaking, drawing, and DIY-style professional development for working artists, including while on staff at Spudnik from 2019 – 2021.

Program Curators:

Jill Nahrstedt is an artist, mother, surfer, and traveler exploring relationships between the self and place. She accomplishes this through the use of color and images in her paintings, pivoting between realism and abstraction, combining them both in some pieces. Jill is seeking the layers that make a life.

She is the founder and curator of Far North Side Gallery, a micro gallery in Chicago. Her work has been shown throughout the United States and can be found on several walls as Murals in Chicago where she lives with her husband and two children. Nahrstedt also prints serigraphs of local architectural groupings, dabbles in surf art, and paints portraits of stranger-neighbors she sources from social media.

Yang Pulongbarit-Cuevo is a Filipina papercut artist based in Chicago who began as a political cartoonist in the Philippines. Her work often draws inspiration from nature, anatomy, music, and folklore.

As an immigrant born and raised in an archipelago with rich cultural heritage contrasted by a history of political unrest, Pulongbarit-Cuevo also creates pieces informed by societal observations and emotional abstraction. Her work has been featured in various online and offline publications including The Chicago Reader. She is currently working as a nonprofit director for a local arts organization and hosts a weekly show for 107.1FM, an independent radio station in North Center Chicago.

Participating Organizations:

Arts of Life is a Chicago organization that advances the creative arts community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and strengthen their leadership skills.

Latitude Chicago is a nonprofit community digital lab in Chicago that maintains high-end printing and scanning equipment, processes 35mm and 120 color negative film, operates an artist in residence program, and organizes ongoing arts programming.

Culminating Event:

Curated prints from the program duration will be on display at a fundraising exhibition, PRESSed together, to be held at the Spudnik Press Annex Gallery on March 14, 2025 (5pm-8pm). Prints will be for sale, benefiting participating artists, Spudnik Press, Arts of Life, and Latitude Chicago.

——————–

Programs at Spudnik Press are partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the Driehaus Foundation, and the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation.

This project is partially supported by a Chicago Arts Recovery Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Logo designed by Riesling Dong

STUDIO SPACE:

We rearranged the space to allow for four screen printing stations, in addition to the t-shirt station. We’re also reorganizing the annex as we double its capacity and a second Risograph has been added.

Additionally, we currently have two private studios available for rent, and registration for all January classes for our Winter Term is now open.

FUNDRAISING:

Rising costs and changing funding sources have put Spudnik at financial risk. To avoid a potential cash flow crisis in early spring, we are focusing on creating long-term financial stability for the organization. Currently, we are highly dependent on grants. Over the next few months, we will intensify our efforts to diversify funding, including expanding our commercial printing services and creating new opportunities for corporate sponsorships and group memberships.

We are thrilled to reintroduce a summer class term this year, which we’ve been unable to offer for the past two years. Additionally, we’ll establish host committees for two major fundraisers: a spring fundraiser and a fall online print auction. Save the date for June 2nd for our Birthday Party Fundraiser at Spudnik! If you’d like to join the host committee, please reach out.

FEE STRUCTURES:

Two price adjustments will go into effect on February 10th:

• Open Studio Rates: These will increase to $40 for a 4-hour session and $60 for an 8-hour session. These adjustments will help cover rising rent and supply costs. Even with the increase, these rates remain highly subsidized and do not cover our operational costs.
• Private Lessons: The cost of private lessons will increase from $140 for 3 hours to $175. This adjustment ensures that teaching artists receive pay that aligns with their standard rate for classes. We believe this is more equitable for the artists who help our studio thrive.

We are also revising many descriptions on our website to better reflect the depth and scope of what we do and to make collaboration opportunities clearer. We hope to complete these updates in the near future.

Thank you for your continuous support for Spudnik Press and we hope to share another fruitful year with you.