With the end of the year rushing up at us, Spudnik would like to take some time to sit with our community and reflect on everything that makes us who we are. Starting November 30, we invite you to come help us in Unwrapping Spudnik. We have five weeks with five themes that will focus on different elements of our community, artistic life, and what makes Spudnik such a dish. We’re also asking you to help us raise $5,000. That’s just $1,000 a week, and will help us keep the studio stocked, supplied, and affordable. 

Every week from now to the end of the year we’re going to unwrap another gift. Everyone who donates $25 to us that week will be entered into a drawing to win that gift. If you want to make sure you’re entered in all five drawings, just donate $100 at any time during the campaign and you’ll be entered in all the remaining drawings. However much you give, make sure you leave your mailing address; we’re sending something special to everyone. 

DONATE NOW

Here’s a sneak preview of the treasures we’re sharing with you.

You probably know we have a risography printer, but have you been formally introduced? Do you wonder what it’s like to be a piece of retro-modern equipment that’s equal parts charming for its simplicity and full of moving parts ready to wear out? Check out the equipment week announcement to learn more about what it takes to keep our beloved riso printer running and some of the very cool projects that it has helped make during its time with us. Also, take this opportunity to share a tool, space, or piece of equipment you love and use in your artmaking. 

Help us maintain our equipment. Give today!

Our members are the core of our Cooperative here at Spudnik Press, so our second unwrapping week is going to focus on them. Meet some of the fabulous and remarkable people who’ve joined Spudnik, the amazing work they’ve done, and revisit what it means to be a non-profit, community-driven print studio. Do you have a favorite Spudnik memory that you’d like to share? Pass it along by email or social media and you can be part of the Unwrapping.

Give the gift of creativity, gift a Spudnik membership!

The studio is more than the walls and the presses; Spudnik is its people, too. At that intersection is Spudnik’s staff, the intrepid team of folks who keep Spudnik running. For staff week you’ll get to know some of the staff, hear about their art, their pets, and their favorite part of Spudnik. You should be prepared to share back, especially if you have cute photos of your pets!

Become a sustaining donor.

Twenty-five dollars to enter a drawing is just $5 a day, which is basically the price of a nice coffee. But we all know one cannot simply deprive the artistic muse of caffeine tithes. Instead of pitching the virtues of chemical withdrawal, we’re spending a week focusing on coffee, and more importantly, what different members of the Spudnik community do to focus and find inspiration even when the flow isn’t coming easily. Do you have something you’d like to share for this week? Share ahead of time and we’ll include you in Coffee Week! Tea drinkers are strongly encouraged to join in and start the theobromine-addicts of Spudnik club.

A sip is good. Investing in the Chicago creative community is great.

Twice a year Spudnik brings in a cohort of fellows who get access to the studio, professional development, and peer support to further them in their artistic practice and support their emerging careers. This is one of many ways we support our community and foster an expansive love of print. Fellowship week will give you a closer look at this program, a chance to meet some of our fellows, and an exciting window on the real world impact of your spudly support. Speaking of support, do you still have your first print? We want to see it! Don’t have a first print to share? Show us any piece of art you have and love.

Help us continue our Fellowship Program. Donate now.

For sharing each week, you can interact with us on social media, or email jessica@spudnikpress.org. Also, keep your eye on your inbox and on our social media to see the prizes each week unwraps (hint: week one has art!) and get updates on our progress.

HELP SPUDNIK FINISH 2021 STRONG

In recognition of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year, we will be adjusting our regularly scheduled hours:

Open Studio Hours

We will not hold the following Open Studio hours:

Thursday, November 25 (Thanksgiving Day)
Friday, November 26
Friday, December 24
Saturday, December 25 (Christmas Day)
Friday, December 31 (New Years Eve)
Saturday, January 1 (New Years Day)

Business Hours

Spudnik Press will be open by appointment only during the following times:

Wednesday, November 24 through Friday, November 26
Thursday, December 23 through Sunday, January 2

Online Benefit Auction
Launches: Monday, October 11, 2021, 8:00 a.m. CST
Closes: Sunday, October 24, 11:59 p.m. CST

VIP Reception
Friday, October 15, 2021
6:00 – 9:00 p.m. CST
$250 for Admission for two

Staff Skill Share Watch Party
Monday, October 18, 2021
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CST
$25 minimum donation

The Spudnik Press Cooperative Annual Benefit is back! Now known as The Spudraiser, this annual fundraising rally is the fertilizer that keeps our doors open, presses running year round, and programs within reach for anyone who wishes to be creative through print.

Our annual art-focused auction returns with a refreshing twist: In addition to being able to bid on artwork from established artists, up-and-coming artists, and Spudnik members, supporters will be able to directly purchase select artworks from our Editions Program or sponsor exciting opportunities and training for artists and students.

Embracing that education is baked into every aspect of our organization, our staff has pulled together the ultimate Skill Share: Join the Watch Party to learn six new skills from the fine folks who run the studio day in day out, or download the recording for when you are ready to try out pysanky egg dying, make a handmade pillow, or cook up a French crepe!

For our VIP guests craving a visit to our studio, we are hosting an intimate limited capacity reception (proof of vaccination required) where you’ll be able to tour the art, enjoy appetizers and drinks, partake in live art demonstrations, and more.

Only have $10 to give? Our raffle for Untitled, 2018 by William J O’Brien is the perfect way to support.

Artwork for Auction by:

Mara Baker, Leslie Baum, Elijah Burgher, Holly Cahill, Edward Cushenberry, Michael Goepferd, Adriane Herman, Richard Hull, Carol Jackson, Valerie Jacobs, Jaclyn Jacunski, Vesna Jovanovic, Arnold Kemp, Dutes Miller, Dominic Moore, Yasaman Moussavi, Aya Nakamura, B. Ingrid Olson, Carl Ramsey, Steve Reinke, Richard Repasky, Jake Saunders, Hugh Spector, Ann Toebbe, & Scott Wolniak

and Spudnik Press Members:

Alexandra Antoine, Elizabeth Burke-Dain, Riley Brady, Cam Collins, Hellen Colman, Aaron Hughes, Abbas Husain, Kumaran Mudaliar, Nat Pyper, Osée Obaonrin, & Don Widmer

Plus Spudnik Editions for Sale from:

Alberto Aguilar, Erin Hayden, Sarah Hotchkiss, David Leggett, Joe Tallerico, & Latham Zearfoss
(Additional artworks to be made available upon sales of these prints)

Host Committee:

Holly Cahill, Jessica Cochran & Eric Matthews, Mary DeYoe & Christopher Smith, Adriane Herman, Claudine Isé, Jaclyn Jacunski, Steve Reinke & Brian Jones

Spudnik Press Cooperative is proud to introduce our 16th Studio Fellowship cohort:

Cam Collins
Lily Cozzens
Kirstin Dunlap
Kyle Dunlap
Alex Fox
Yu Wei

Eight months of free and unlimited studio access is the foundation benefit of the program. Additionally, through the course of their fellowship, these artists will receive professional, artistic, and technical support catered to the needs of printmakers. Through working in our shared studio and monitoring weekly Open Studio sessions, fellows engage with our community of printmakers and benefit from ongoing support and feedback from staff and peers.

Established in 2013, this program to date has supported 61 artists with unfettered studio access to support the creation of both traditional and experimental print-based artwork, as well as a variety of other resources and opportunities.

Studio Fellow Bios:

Cam Collins

Cam Collins is a fine artist born in Chicago, IL in 1999. His work conveys ambiguous narratives that revolve around colorful figures and sprawling objects, prompting the viewer to investigate, but also have fun doing so. Collins went from Chicago High School to the Arts and moved on to get his BFA in Printmaking at RISD while working as a studio technician in Benson Hall. He has done his own solo exhibition in Providence titled Colorstroll, and has won various awards from Scholastic and AIGA.

Lily Cozzens

Through the lens of realism and observation, Lily Cozzens’ practice primarily utilizes the medium of drawing to explore and balance the ideas of banality, sincerity, and representation and to create an authentic experience for the viewer. Realism as a practice–and going beyond simple reproduction–embraces the instantaneous and fleeting subjectivity of daily goings-on. She explores and embraces memory and its subjectivity to create third-hand retellings of first-hand experiences. As an attempt at connection with others and with the world around her, she tells her own truth through her work.

Kirstin Dunlap

“My battery is low and it is getting dark” were the final works sprawled across news headlines to announce the death of the Mars opportunity rover. Those final words struck Kirstin Dunlap as undeniable human and since then she has worked to try to convey the intangible world to others in the only way she knows how: through print.

Her work primarily takes form through screen and risograph printing and book binding and works to bend the norms of the medium to best represent a particular concept. Experimenting with self publishing as of late has also increased her representation possibilities.

Kyle Dunlap

Kyle Dunlap a multi-disciplinary artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. During his time in school, he studied printmaking and photography. In the past he has worked at photography labs, archival facilities, and most recently has transitioned to working in a wood shop. Previously, he made work surrounding themes from classic literature to childhood experience. Oftentimes, he works through these ideas in small print sets or comics. Currently, his goal is to continue expanding his skillset and education while being able to work with his hands alongside other creative-minded individuals.

Alex Fox

Alex Fox is a printmaking artist from Des Moines, Iowa via Bulgaria. He recently graduated with honors and distinction from the BFA printmaking program at the University of Iowa. His current area of focus is silkscreen printing on fabric, and he plans on combining this with sculptural elements moving forward. In April 2021, he showcased his first exhibition titled Façade, exploring themes of identity and encompassing a variety of mediums such as oil painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography and textiles. As a new graduate, he is looking for opportunities to develop his printmaking career.

Yu Wei

Yu Wei tells stories through multiple visual approaches. She designs, draws, prints, photographs, writes, and edits. And most importantly, she makes books. Book is the connection between her inner self and the outside world. Now she is just a book artist based in Chicago and Beijing, floating in the cosmos.

Image: Clockwise from top left: Details of artwork by Cam Collins, Lily Cozzens, Kirstin Dunlap, Kyle Dunlap, Alex Fox, and Yu Wei

Spudnik Press is turning 14! We are celebrating through three different avenues that bring our community closer despite being socially apart since the pandemic. We invite you to support our milestone and make a huge impact on Spudnik’s mission today and beyond. 

Throughout the month of June, we are highlighting the amazing people that make up our community through a series of email interviews! On our birthday (June 8th), we will launch a flash fundraiser on Facebook to raise money for a wheelchair-accessible hand sink with eyewash station and we need your support! Please consider pitching in to buy us a communal birthday present.

Later this month, we are also launching a limited edition shirt to raise funds as we continue to safely re-open and resume more classes and workshops.

After a challenging year, we definitely need a steady and predictable source of funding to fuel our many programs and studio upgrades. We invite you to bring stability to the studio by supporting our new Sustainability Fund by giving a monthly recurring donation. In light of Spudnik’s 14th birthday celebration, we suggest $14 a month, but any amount makes a difference. And it’s super easy to set up!

Our goal is to welcome 25+ sustaining donors by the end of our birthday campaign so we hope you can share this cause with your friends and family. Thank you so much for your support!

Spudnik Press Cooperative is pleased to announce the completion of a new invitational project with Latham Zearfoss. The broadside, Many Happy Returns, addresses the interdependence of consumption and production.

Each print is dyed with a natural pigment on the left side, corresponding to a list of things that can be composted. The right side of each print is dyed with a synthetic dye, and corresponds to materials that are not typically composable. The text doubles as both a functional resource list and a meditative poem.

Latham began this project with Spudnik Press Cooperative by creating a collection of paper pots from recycled paper pulp and natural pigments. These pots were used to hold sunflower seedlings and intended to be planted in the ground as part of a virtual installation debuted during EXPO CHGO ONLINE in April 2021.

This initial publishing project of 2021 offers an affordable and utilitarian option for supporters to begin or add to their art collection.

Spudnik Press Cooperative is excited to announce the following open positions:

View the Development Lead job description

This role will provide an organized and outgoing individual the opportunity to support our mission to provide education in printmaking practices through bringing together a diverse community including emerging artists, established artists, youth, and adults.

The ideal candidate will have an appreciation for printmaking and the visual arts in order to better serve our community and will enjoy working collaboratively. Staff are expected to bring passion and integrity to their work while enjoying the community of creative artists, makers, students, and teachers that contribute to Spudnik Press.

This is a permanent part-time positions with flexible hours and a blend of in-person and remote work. Benefits include paid time off, some paid holidays, and unfettered studio access.

To apply, please send e-mail with cover letter and resume to angee@spudnikpress.org. Applications will be reviewed as they are received.

Spudnik Press Cooperative does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.

On Friday, May 7th, Spudnik Press Cooperative will host The Hashbrown Re-Hash: Virtual Event & Cookbook Launch. 

The virtual event will be presented as a cooking show featuring a variety of guest chefs including Adam Schulte, Certified Cicerone® with Whiner Beer, Patti Swanson with Chicago for Chicagoans and past Hashbrown chefs, pastry chef Dutes Miller and Alex Gilbert of CHIRP Radio. Spudnik Press staff will kick off the evening by sharing beloved cocktail recipes, baking tips, and cheese-making processes. The main dish will be prepared on screen by a guest chef, to be announced when tickets launch.

The Hashbrown Re-Hash: 10 years of Chili Cook-Off Recipes will feature a wide range of chili recipes as well as appetizers, sides, and desserts that pair well with spicy stew. This commemorative cookbook, designed by Andrew Mariscal (Spudnik Press Intern, 2020) includes photos and other highlights from past events.

2019 Hashbrown Chili Cook-Off

Spudnik Press first presented “The Hashbrown” as a community potluck in December 2009.

Inspired by a cook-off fundraiser presented by the now defunct InCubate (2007-2011), the Hashbrown transitioned to a chili cook off in 2011. In the early years, all chefs represented printmaking studios including student shops like Harold Washington’s “Prinstitute”. The pool of chefs gradually expanded to include community spaces like Comfort Station, arts-related businesses like One Design, and member teams. As the event grew, so did the spectacle with games and music contributing to the festive atmosphere. For example, 2019’s “Heavy Metal County Fair” theme included midway games like face painting with options ranging from youthful rainbows to Alice Cooper-inspired corpsepaint. This Chicago tradition has been equal parts fundraiser and community celebration. 

Spudnik Press Cooperative has now gone more than a full year without any onsite group classes. Suspending group education was essential for community health and safety, but has caused a huge loss of revenue. “The Hashbrown Re-Hash” virtual event and commemorative cookbook is an essential community fundraising campaign to support the organization as they transition back to onsite public programs.

Event tickets and cookbook pre-sales will launch on Thursday, April 8th.

View Last Year’s Hashbrown Photos

The Spudnik Press Cooperative Board of Directors is growing and evolving! We encourage members of our community to consider supporting our mission by joining our board of directors. 

The Spudnik Press Board of Directors is a team of volunteers working behind the scenes to ensure our organization is resilient, mission-driven, and advocating day-in-day-out for artists and the arts. Board members provide long-range leadership, governance and oversight for the organization. Members of our board work collaboratively with each other, the Executive Director, and the staff of Spudnik Press to support the mission of our organization and the challenges arise during their tenure. 

Priorities for the coming year focus on adapting our studio to accommodate capacity limitations and working closely with staff to ensure that the organization is accessible, diverse, inclusive, and equitable.

Board Members serve two-year terms (September – August) and are eligible for reappointment for additional terms. Board meetings are held Wednesday evenings every other month. Directors are expected to serve on at least one committee, meeting approximately once per month.

Download the Board of Directors Job Description

Meet & Greet Events:

We invite anyone interested in learning more about our board of directors, our current projects, and what a role on the board entails to join one of our upcoming meet and greet events.

• Thursday, May 20th, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. CST via Zoom (includes a fun cooking demo!)
• Sunday, June 13th, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. CST (to be held in person; masks required)

We are also able to schedule individual meetings at alternative times as needed.

RSVP to Attend a Meet & Greet

Current areas of needs:

• Active members of Spudnik Press: Represent your fellow artists!
• Legal experience
• Human resources experience
• Project management experience
• Finance and accounting experience
• Gallery or art sales experience

To Apply:

• Send resume or bio summarizing qualifications plus a letter of inquiry to Angee Lennard, Executive Director, angee@spudnikpress.org by July 9th.
• The board of directors will put forth nominations by July 18th (one month in advance of the Annual Member Meeting).
• Nominees are elected by our membership during the Annual Member Meeting (August 18th, 2021) for positions beginning in September.

This is a great opportunity for an individual who is passionate about Spudnik’s mission and visual arts. Priority will be given to applicants who are accomplished in areas of need to the organization such as finance, meeting facilitation, project management, governance, public relations, data assessment, fine art printmaking, community education, and exhibitions. Additionally, Spudnik Press Cooperative is committed to having a diverse board of directors in regards to race, ethnicity, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, and physical ability.

We are continuing our quest to streamline our studio and are looking for a new home for the following:

Chandler & Price Clamshell Letterpress
Estimated at $1500-$2500

C&P Letterpress in great working condition. Recently used and functioning properly. Really nice patina with no repairs or welds. Fly wheel can accept a serpentine belt if you’d like to add a motor. Comes with chase, rollers, and printing block, ready to start printing. Rollers have recently been refurbished. Hand run with no foot pedal or motor. Pickup only. 

Brand: Chandler and Price
Printing Bed: 8″ x 12″
Type: Platen Press
Model: XXXX
Manufactured in the United States
Letter Press Type: Floor Model

Hamilton Woodtype Type Cabinet with Metal Type
Estimated at $800-$1200

Hamilton Manufacturing Company 25 drawer type cabinet. Good condition. Original finish. Type included is between 4-18 points and is mostly full sets:

• Engravers Bold in 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 point
• L.F. Plate Gothic in 4, 6, 12, and 18 point
• B.F. Plate Nothing in 4, 6, 12, 18 point
• Stymie Extra Bold Condensed in 30 point
• Includes 8 empty drawers at the bottom.
• Option to include brand new type (in original boxes) of 6 point News Gothic Condensed.

The sale of these items will allow our Line-o-Scribe proofing press to be permanently set up and expand or wood type collection. Spudnik Press Cooperative is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

If interested, please contact Angee Lennard (angee@spudnikpress.org) with an offer.

Under the umbrella of the Invitational, 1xn is a new fully subsidized program for visual artists living and working in Chicago. Developed by Kristin Korolowicz and Murat Ahmed in collaboration with Angee Lennard, 1xn—referring to one-year by the number of artists and collaborators involved—offers three, one-year key holder access opportunities to provide selected artists with the resources and tools to have an extended period of experimentation with printed matter.

Spudnik Press Cooperative is proud to introduce the first three Chicago artists supported by this new initiative:

Alexandria Eregbu
Victoria Martinez
Selina Trepp

1xn is made possible by a significant individual donation. If you are interested in underwriting a program or developing a collaborative sponsorship that supports artists utilizing print media as part of their creative practice, please contact angee@spudnikpress.org.

Learn more about our Invitational Programs

On Saturday, January 23, Join Chicago Composers Orchestra, Homeroom, and Spudnik Press for a sneak peek of the seventh iteration of Ten x Ten featuring the audio and visual work of:

Susan Giles collaborating with Amy Wurtz
Carlos Matallana collaborating with Ben LaMar Gay
Michelle Nordmeyer collaborating with Andrew McManus

Ten x Ten is a dual-media collaboration between visual artists and musicians that explores the collaborative process and the translation of artistic gestures across media. This sneak peek, in advance of the full orchestral performance (on hold due to Covid-19) will present sketches of the musical compositions and images of the screen prints as a multimedia virtual event. We’ll begin with performances and conclude with a discussion and audience Q&A with the artists and composers.

Ten x Ten was initiated in 2010 by Homeroom and Spudnik Press as a way to upend the common creative economy between Chicago musicians and printmakers (gig posters and album art) through exploring ideas of abstraction, the collaborative process, and the translation of artistic gestures and concepts across media.

Since 2010, Spudnik Press has published 62 screenprints through seven iterations of the project, each exploring various themes and collaborative approaches, often emphasizing structure and form across media through topics like synesthesia (2013) and graphic notation (2015) or various musical genres such as hip-hop and spoken word (2012), contemporary classical (2013), and improvisational jazz (2015). Through reinventing the project for each iteration, Ten x Ten has continually expanded the dialog and collaboration between participants while encouraging the awareness of and interaction between disparate Chicago artist communities.

Browse all Prints

Stream the Live Event (January 23, 7:00 p.m. CST)