Spudnik Press is very pleased to announce Ali Aschman as our Spring 2014 Artist in Residence.

Ali’s work takes place in a variety of disciplines, including sculpture, drawing, printmaking, and animation, often combined in installations. Ali has most recently been working on creating narrative animations that focus on landscape as metaphor for an inner emotional state. “I’m trying” Ali says “to make work that occupies an uncomfortable space between immersion in an imaginary world, and an awareness of the constructed and artificial nature of that world, through my use of materials and building techniques, lighting and scale.” For her project at Spudnik press, Ali has proposed to work on a portfolio of woodcuts and screenprints that will be used to create a 3 to 5 minute stop-motion animation.

Our Residency Program is proud to host Ali at Spudnik Press Cooperative March 1 through May 31, 2014.

This winter, Spudnik Press has been working with artist Sara Holwerda as she prepares for her exhibition And is Herself Created that will debut at The Sculpture Center in Cleveland. See her work, including prints published by Spudnik Press on her website, GOD IS THE DJ, which acts as a preview for the exhibition. Her work is  a contemporary homage to the Moulin Rouge that explores the origin of female archetypes in mythology and pop culture through image and performance.

See more artwork that Spudnik Press has published!

For all the details please download our Call for Guest Curator. Before applying please also review the Guide for Curators. Proposals are due April 29.

Spudnik Press is thrilled to announce our 2014 Printing Apprentice, Alex Gilbert. Alex recently graduated from Harrington Design, with a strong appreciation of typography and an itch to spend time in a print studio. Over the next ten months, he will be working alongside staff to produce limited edition prints through our Publishing Program.  Alex will also be using the shop to produce his own body of artwork, with advising and general support from Spudnik’s Studio Manager, Veronica Siehl.

What does Alex have to say?

I am honored and excited to be joining the Spudnik family for the next ten months. During my time here, I will be assisting with a variety of in-house and client printing; I will also be designing and printing a personal project that pays homage to Chicago’s important typographic history. If you want to know more about me or what I’m making, stop by the studio on Thursdays and say hi!

Our Publishing Program began in 2009, with the paid Printing Apprenticeship formed in 2013. We look forward to a full year working with clients, old and new, on letterpress, screenprinting, and relief printing projects. E-mail Alex if you have a project in mind!

Each year, our programming and our studio evolves and grows. We want our members and our students to be a part of this conversation! Learning more about you will help us tremendously in a few ways! One, we want to make sure that Spudnik is what you want and need it to be. Do you have ideas? This is a great platform for sharing your ideas. Two, while memberships and class fees pay some of our expenses, it doesn’t cover everything. Spudnik is partially supported by grants. We ask for some demographic information that is optional for you to answer. Having this information may help us obtain funding, and ultimately keep costs low for you.

At the completion of the survey, you’ll be given a coupon code for $5 off any purchase on our website (valid through all of 2014!). We estimate it will take 15 minutes.

Take our Survey!

Today we are excited to present our final Chef Spotlight! CAKE, or the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo, is a weekend-long celebration of independent comics, inspired by Chicago’s rich legacy as home to many of underground and alternative comics’ most talented artists– past, present and future. CAKE is dedicated to fostering community and dialogue amongst independent artists, small presses, publishers and readers.

Want to meet CAKE organizers in person? Ready to eat some chili? Purchase your tasting tickets and come down to Spudnik this Saturday to join us for the Hashbrown!

What is the best cake to eat with chili? 

It’s a toss up between crab cakes and Mexican chocolate cake.

In what ways does your chili recipe embody your organization? 

Like the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo, our chili is scrappy and cooked low and slow. Chock full of diverse flavors and textures, it is at once comforting and familiar, with a dash of the wild and unexpected.

Name a celebrity you would most like to share a bowl a chili with and why.

Cartoonist Lynda Barry! She tells great stories, whether in comics or in person.

Do you have any words of warning to your competitors? 

ANCHO gonna be sorry you tried to beat our chili? Mess with our chili and you’ve got a real POBLANO on your hands.  I mean CAYENE you believe such hubris?

What does Spudnik Press love about CAKE?

Chicago has great resources for comic book artists of all varieties, including Quimby’s, CHIPRC, and yours truly (Spudnik, that is). However, until CAKE came along, the city was really lacking 1) a platform to celebrate and acknowledge the comics community and 2) a pathway for aspiring or new artists to meet and learn from the artists who inspire them.  CAKE organizers take their (unpaid) job very seriously and excel at creating a diverse, welcoming, and stimulating festival each spring. The next CAKE is May 31 and June 1 at The Center on Halsted.

 Read more about CAKE!

Sixty Inches From Center is today’s featured Hashbrown contestant. With the event is a mere five days away, it might be time to purchase some tasting tickets!

What is Sixty Inches? They produce video, audio, photography, editorial essays, and interviews to document artists and arts events that exist outside of the city’s mainstream cultural institutions. By doing so, they capture the innovative work of artists and communities that might otherwise be missed by traditional art historical narratives.

Below is a collaborative interview with Directors Jennifer and Tempestt, and Editors Reuben and Toby.

In what ways does your chili recipe embody your organization?

Our recipe will have a lot of layers, deliver some unexpected and unpredictable moments and stray from the chili tradition–much like we as an organization tend to. Sixty is all about stretching what art history, archival process and arts journalism can be–so in the spirit of shaking things up, our chili will test definitions and expectations. Oh and we can’t forget to mention that just like us, our chili will be full of beans.

Name a celebrity you would most like to share a bowl a chili with and why.

We all agree that it would be great to share a bowl of chili with Janelle Monae. Some other names that came out of the Sixty brain are Jon Stewart and Salman Rushdie.

Looking back at recent artists or exhibitions covered by Sixty’s journalists, which artist would you most want to add to your chili-making team and why.

While On The Real Film was working for Sixty, they produced a series of videos called Break The Bread which gave a peek into the work and collaborations of food artist Nick Jirasek. In the series, you see how he creates dishes inspired by the work and stories of the artists featured in each video. For him it’s not just about the process of cooking and the end result, but it’s about really digging deep into the artist’s story and finding a way to translate that into something thoughtful and tasty.

Do you have any words of warning to your competitors?

Don’t underestimate the power of a vegetarian chili!

What does Spudnik Press love about Sixty Inches From Center?

Sixty Inches From Center approaches Arts Journalism with the broad view. They refute the notion that documentation is a silent record of things of the past. To Sixty Inches, documentation is an active word that involves research, community, and a critical eye. They are working hard (really hard!) to create an honest narrative of Chicago’s diverse cultural environment.

As The Hashbrown approaches, we continue bragging about our great line up of organizations that will compete for the Golden Ladle (and a cash prize!). Here is what Corner Farm Chicago says about their chili:

Will Corner Farm Chicago be cooking with any home grown vegetables?

Corner Farm Chicago runs two community gardens in Logan Square that serve food pantries. So we’ve cheerfully outsourced the veggies for this chili.

Let’s pretend you were to cook with Corner Farm veggies. What veggie would take your chili to the next level?

We grow some pretty amazing onions, which we would definitely tap if they weren’t already committed to a good cause. For a veggie chili, we like to include squash; it adds a real toothsome quality to the chili.

In what ways does your chili recipe embody your organization?

Like most chili, this one tastes better with time. Each year, we learn more, and our gardens produce more food for local families in need. And, as all gardeners know, time is always the key to growing delicious vegetables.

Is there a celebrity you would most like to share a bowl a chili with?

Wait, there are going to be celebrities? I can’t be seen this way by famous people. I’ll comb my hair by the contest. I promise.

Do you have any words of warning to your competitors?

Let’s just say that we plan to be allelopathic to our competitors. Only one chili can be the dominant varietal.

What does Spudnik Press love about Corner Farm?

Corner Farm Chicago is not your ordinary neighborhood farm. Their first location (at Altgeld and Sawyer) sits across the street from Christopher House, a local non-profit that includes a vibrant food pantry. Organic, fresh (picked the day of!), and incredibly local vegetables allow families in the neighborhood to connect over nourishing food. All the food harvested on Corner Farms heads straight to where it is needed most! Pretty amazing, right?

We recently sat down with Nightingale Cinema, a rough and ready microcinema in Noble Square, and learned some unusual facts about their chili. Read on:

In what ways does your chili recipe embody your organization?

Our chili’s main ingredient is flickering light.

What celebrity would you most like to share a bowl a chili with and why?

Agnes Varda, because she is hilarious and observant and has great hair and  I don’t see how else I am going to get to meet her.

Best film about chili?

Come to think of it, I have never seen one- not one! I have seen a couple of terrible movies with a character named Chili –GET SHORTY (1995) and  its truly unimaginable sequel –BE COOL (2005). I have seen some mediocre movies where being chilly is an important plot point- the not appetizing ALIVE (1993) and the not scary THE THING (1983) and luckily, I have seen a ton of great movies from Chile- most recently the masterfully-crafted and politically inspiring NO (2012). They will all probably inspire our chili recipe.

Do you have any words of warning to your competitors?

Watch out, this chili is sculptural.

What does Spudnik Press love about Nightingale Cinema?

You don’t have to be a film aficionado to feel at home at Nightingale Cinema. Founder and Director Christy LeMaster just so happens to be an encyclopedic film expert well versed in historical and contemporary film, and she is more than willing to share her enthusiasm for time-based arts. Christy and an outstanding team of programmers coordinate a full schedule of screenings and special events that represent emerging artists working with film, video, and new media.

Have we convinced you this event is going to be magical? Purchase Tickets to The Hashbrown!

Our fifth Chef Spotlight is Homeroom. Homeroom designs artistic projects and programs with two core values: conversation and collaboration. They build programming structures with artists, audiences, curators and venues to create an artistic dialogue with shared and far-reaching impact.

In what ways does your chili recipe embody your organization?

Our chili recipe, like most of our programming, is an experiment. We won’t know whether it is a success until we present it to an audience.

Who would you most like to share a bowl a chili with?

One of my favorite writers and personalities is This American Life and The Daily Show contributor John Hodgman. His “Judge John Hodgman Podcast” is where I first learned that chili is technically a stew rather than a soup. He seems like a great conversationalist and a pretty funny guy.

 If Homeroom had a Chili 101, who would you book as the guest presenter?

I think our competitor Martha Bayne (of Soup and Bread) would be the ideal person to speak to what a good pot of chili can do for individuals and communities. Perhaps we could pair her with Chicagoist editor and excellent food writer Chuck Sudo to talk about different regional styles of chili (Cincinnati vs. Southwest style, for example) as well as clue the audience into where the best chilis in Chicago can be found.

Do you have any words of warning to your competitors?

I would warn them that our chili recipe was developed based on the advice and guidance of more than half a dozen excellent Chicago artists, musicians and home cooks.

What does Spudnik Press love about Homeroom?

Homeroom lives outside of the framework of traditional non-profits. They have no physical location, and instead move their events through out the city. Their programming is always collaborative, and it is also always lively, yet thoughtful and thought-provoking. Their programming enriches the presenters or collaborators as much as it does for the audience! Although we might be biased since Homeroom co-presents Ten x Ten with Spudnik, we are confident you’ll fall in love with this organization.

Today we introduce Comfort Station, a community-focused art space located in the heart of Logan Square.

What is the most comforting thing about Comfort Station?

I’m pleased to report that the hot air trapped in our space by storm windows and insulation is the most comfortable thing about our space, in the winter at least. We’re all very excited to be able to live up to our name when we re-open our programs this winter.

In what ways does your chili recipe embody your organization?

It’s got a lot going on, is somewhat thrown together, but everything resolves to a richly layered experience in the end.

Which celebrity would you most like to share a bowl a chili with and why?

Peter Falk (RIP). There are numerous Columbo episodes where he is obsessed with chili, either at a french restaurant as a way of unsettling his fancy-pants suspect, or as part of some convoluted story that implies a folksy aloofness while (once again) unsettling the culprit. Plus, Peter Faulk is the chili of actors, with his perfect balance of comfort and seasoning.

Do you have any words of warning to your competitors?

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE. Or three I guess, if you count the runner up prizes.

What does Spudnik Press love about Comfort Station?

In no time at all, Comfort Station has become a cornerstone of Logan Square. The unique architecture and history of what is often referred to as the gnome house contributes to the community-focused vibe of every event they host. Some of our favorite events have been art exhibitions in the spring and summer. Galleries tend to err on the formal side and be windowless rooms with strong lighting. So we find it rejuvenating to look and artwork in a space that has its doors wide open, a refreshing breeze, and green grass just a few feet away. Read more about Comfort Station!

Planning for the 10th Anniversary Printers Ball is now under way! As we gear up for the event, we are excited to offer one internship position devoted entirely to the festival.

The Printers Ball Intern will work closely with the Programming Team to plan and implement the 2014 event, supporting staff through each stage of development. Beginning the internship during the early stages of planning will provide the opportunity for the intern to creatively contribute to the event, and take a lead role in translating the visions of the programming team into a successful large-scale free public program. We will begin reviewing applications on February 28 with the internship beginning shortly after.

This is a great opportunity to build practical arts administration experience with an established Chicago festival. For more information about The Printers Ball visit printersball.org.

Download Job Description and How to Apply: Printers Ball Call for Intern