Posts Categorized: News

Update Regarding COVID-19

We want to share a brief update on the status of Spudnik Press Cooperative programming and events in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in Illinois. With the wellbeing of our staff and program attendees in mind, Spudnik Press Cooperative staff are actively discussing the next steps in case of a larger outbreak in the Chicago area.

We are monitoring and basing our decisions on their recommendations of the following resources. We encourage our community stay informed as well:

For now, all our classes and events will continue as planned, and we will send updates via email to our community if any plans change. We understand that our members, students, and guests have their own protocols and concerns regarding safety, and ask that if you do plan to cancel attendance, please do so as soon as possible.

We further ask you not to visit our studio if you are feeling ill, and have symptoms such as a fever, fatigue, or consistent cough. We also ask all visitors to rigorously wash their hands upon joining us for an event and taking other precautions such as coughing into one’s elbow and refraining from physical contact with fellow attendees.Lastly, we ask our community to practice kindness during this time, as these events are no excuse for xenophobia.

Thank you for your continued support of Spudnik Press Cooperative.

New Studio Authorization Process

On April 1, 2020, a new authorization process will be rolled out for artists who are new to our studio and already have satisfactory knowledge of their craft.

Anyone who would like to become authorized to print at Spudnik Press or use our studio will need to complete a Studio Access Training led by staff. These sessions ensure that all makers are proficient and confident using the equipment in our studios and following our specific procedures and guidelines.

These sessions are not lessons: they are for makers who already are comfortable printing or working independently.

Why the change?

  1. It’s hard to start working at a new studio! Our newest printers deserve more support and guidance from our staff.
  2. Over 1,200 people a year make art here! This new authorization process will help us keep our studio clean and cohesive.
  3. Spudnik Press is a shared space! Sharing space and resources requires mutual investment from everyone involved. Studio training sessions are a way for staff to really engage with the print community and vice versa. We hope the time spent working side by side in the studio will lead to everyone feeling more comfortable in our studios and invested in making our space the best it can be for everyone.

What you can expect:

  • Small group setting
  • 90-minute to 3-hour session
  • Overview of the ways artists can print independently at Spudnik Press
  • Details regarding rules, regulations, and best practices specific to Spudnik Press
  • A focus on personal safety, care and maintenance of tools and supplies
  • A combination of discussions, demos, and hands-on projects
  • Opportunity to ask technical questions and brush up on techniques
  • Complimentary Open Studio coupon valued at up to $25

To help ensure that our studio is accessible to all, in addition to private trainings, we welcome additional requests for reasonable accommodations to support those with various learning styles, physical abilities, and financial limitations. 

Studio Access Training Details

Spudnik Press Welcomes Spring Resident Artists: Benjamin Merritt & Andrew Bearnot

This Spring, Spudnik Press Cooperative is hosting two Resident Artists who will each bring new resources, perspectives, and professional connections to our community. The Residency Program provides mid-career to established artists one to six weeks of full studio access and the support necessary for the production of new print-based artwork.

In an effort to bring about conversation and connections among our community and our Resident Artists, each Resident also develops a public program that correlates with and builds from their art practice.

Benjamin Merritt (Minneapolis, MN), February 10-29, 2020

Benjamin Merrit’s research intersects with the discussion of chronic illness.  According to Merrit, chronic illness is continually based around cure and cause, often times with a language that puts the patient at fault (stigma around weight, smoking, alcohol consumption) in situations where those are proven to not be causes for the illness.  Recently, the ways language is used in clinical settings and text have become more important in his work.  Merritt aims to bring attention to the complex relationship between the body and language in medical discourse, and to encourage the viewer to consider compassionate and affective methods of discussing illness.

Corresponding Events:

Accessibility in the Studio: An Evening with Resident Artist Benjamin Merritt
Wednesday, February 26
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Free

Andrew Bearnot (Chicago, IL), March 1-31, 2020

Andrew Bearnot (MFA, University of Chicago) is a self described “materialist”: he thinks with and through the substance of things. Informed by a background in material science (ScB, Brown University) and glass (BFA, Rhode Island School of Design), Bearnot explores moments of transcendence in the everyday. He was awarded fellowships from Fulbright and the American-Scandinavian Foundation for research on glass-making traditions in Sweden and Denmark and has been an artist-in-residence at the Hyde Park Arts Center (Chicago, IL), Museum of Arts and Design (New York, NY), Marble House Project (Dorset, VT), and Creative Glass Center of America (Millville, NJ).

Corresponding Events:

Offsite Visit: The University Club of Chicago
Sunday, March 8
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
$10; Spudnik Press 
Members Only

Queer Materialisms: Andrew Bearnot in dialog with Dutes Miller & Betsy Odom 
This event has been postponed for COVID-19 closures. We look forward to announcing a new date in the future.
Tuesday, March 24
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Free

Image: (Left) Body Reaction Passive, Benjamin Merritt, 2019 (Right)  Screen_Capture_0013, Andrew Bearnot, 2018

First Impressions: New Workshop Series Featuring Local Emerging Artists

Spudnik Press is launching a new event series dedicated to introducing our community and the public at large to the arts practices of Spudnik Press members. First Impressions occur every other month and feature a guest artist and a unique project that relates to their artistic practice. Join us on Friday nights for a happy hour combined with making and learning alongside our artists. 

No experience is necessary and we encourage first-time visitors to our studio. Guests are also welcome to save $10 off a second registration if they would like to attend with a partner to collaboratively complete one project. 

We are kicking off these series with Ally Hembree on May 1, 2020. Ally is always inspired by the environment in which she creates. Her linoleum block printing project will encourage attendees to also seek inspiration from their surroundings and the Chicago cityscape. Guests will be able to try their hand at relief printing by carving and inking an image from a linoleum block.

Following First Impressions will feature Hope Wang, Teri Carson, and River Kerstetter.

Spudnik Press To Debut New Prints at PrintAustin’s PrintEXPO AUSTIN EXPO

Spudnik Press Cooperative will, for the first time, present Chicago artists to new audiences in Austin, Texas at the 2020 PrintEXPO (February 1 & 2, 2020).

The Spudnik Press will exhibit recent print from our Publishing Program, including new 2020 editions by Selina Trepp and Steve Reinke.

PrintEXPO is PrintAustin’s annual print fair that provides an opportunity for local, national, and international artists, galleries, and dealers to share their work with seasoned and new collectors excited about works on paper. Artists, galleries, and vendors have been curated by Carlos Hernandez of Burning Bones Press and PrintAustin. The EXPO includes a vendor fair, steamroller printing, and printmaking demonstrations.

Spudnik Press Cooperative will be presented alongside the North Texas Printmakers Guild, Inky Lips Press, Hokum Press, Jesus De La Rosa, Cannonball PressCarlos Pozo Art, Ben Muñoz, Red Trillium Press, Temple of Print, Dennis McNett / Wolfbat Studios, Reboprints, Qiaoyi Shi & Lucky RisographMichael MenchacaFlatbed Press, and many other artists and publishers.


PrintAustin 2020 PrintEXPO

Launch Party:
Friday, January 31, 
7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
$20 Suggested Donation

Saturday, February 1, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Free

Sunday February 2, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Free

Blue Genie Big Top
6100 Airport Blvd
Austin, TX 78752

2019-20 Fellows Announced

Spudnik Press is delighted to officially announce the new 2019-20 fellowship class: Efrat Hakimi, Marc Benja, Teresita Carson Valdez, and Vero d. Orozco!


Efrat Hakimi

Hakimi received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2019) and is the recipient of the Katz International Photography Award (2018). She graduated from Hamidrasha School of Art (2016, with honors) and holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering (BGU, 2010). Her work had been exhibited in Chicago, Tokyo, Shanghai, Medellín, Marseille, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and is included in the Joan Flasch Artists Book Collection in Chicago, The Nahum Gutman Museum collection and the IBM Collection in Tel Aviv.


Marc Benja

Benja received his Bachelors of Arts from Columbia College Chicago with a focus in painting, printmaking, and photography. His experience with printmaking is especially focused on  intaglio processes, such as drypoint and photo-sensitive printing plates, monotypes, relief printing, chine collé, and gel plate printing, using various inks and paints. After a substantial, successful corporate career, Benja is entering the Fellowship to pursue his lifelong passion for the arts.


Teresita Carson Valdéz

Teresita Carson Valdéz is a Mexican, Chicago-based artist working in film, video, photography, printmedia, fiber, sound and installation. She is co-director of the alternative project space INTERSECT, which aims to foster relationships with diverse communities and is invested in facilitating artistic and educational gestures propelled by empathy and generosity. Recent venues presenting Carson’s work include Adds Donna Gallery, Mana Contemporary, Sullivan Galleries, Moving Image and Spudnik Press. She holds a Bachelors in Fine Arts from the School of the Art institute of Chicago.

Carson has been a member at Spudnik Press for two years, and was recently interviewed by an intern. Read all about the conversation here!


Vero d. Orozco

Vero d. Orozco is a Nicaraguan-American born in San Francisco, California. She is a mix-medium visual artist and art administrator. Her artistic process has evolved from nurturing her alternative way of screen-printing; Being born with one hand, she screen-prints each image onto paper intuitively, creating final pieces that live between printmaking and painting. Being a youth advocate in the arts and having worked in youth development for 5 years she considers her art practice an essential tool to her mental health and tapping into her inner wisdom. Vero strives to be a cheerleader for reflective conversations of knowledge and hopes to provide spaces for collaborative understanding around equity in the arts.


Congratulations to the four selected artists, and we hope you will enjoy the fellowship as much as we will enjoy having you here!

Spudnik Press at Chicago Printers Guild’s 4th Annual Publishers Fair

On Saturday, November 9 the Chicago Printers Guild (CPG) will hold its fourth iteration of the Chicago Printers Guild Publishers Fair at Constellation in Roscoe Village. As the organization celebrates its 10th anniversary, the level of its members’ print work is on the rise. Over 30 of these printmakers will be present to sell their self-published print work and will include the Guild-sponsored recipient of the 2019 CPG Student Award and Instituto Grafico de Chicago, a print organization dedicated to maintaining the critical activist tradition of Latino printmaking. This event provides a unique opportunity for Fair attendees to meet the artists and ultimately engage in the tradition-rich print landscape of our region. (more…)

Spudnik Press to Participate in New York’s E/AB Fair |October 24-27

Spudnik Press Cooperative is thrilled to announce that we will be exhibiting at the 2019 Editions/Artists’ Books Fair,(October 24 – 27, 2019) at The Caldwell Factory in New York City.

The Spudnik Press booth will exhibit recent print from our Publishing Program, including Ryan Travis ChristianEdie FakeKelly KaczynskiBrittney Leanne WilliamsJudy LedgerwoodSteve Reinke, Kay Rosen, and Alice Tippit.

Editions/Artists’ Books Fair has been New York’s premier showcase for the discovery of new and contemporary prints, multiples, and artists’ books for over 20 years now. Renowned for its cultivation of an international community of publishers, E/AB Fair provides a platform for their growth in the art market. Each year, the Fair presents a thoughtfully curated exhibition of works by hundreds of emerging and established artists and an informative program of talks.

The E/AB Fair will take place during New York’s Print Week, to coincide with IFPDA’s Print Fair, and dozens of special exhibitions, talks, and workshops throughout the city. The fair is free and open to the public.

E/AB Fair
October 24 – 27, 2019

The Caldwell Factory
547 West 26th Street
btw. 10th and 11th Avenues

The Price is Nice Auction: BID NOW | PARTY LATER

The countdown to our 2019 Annual Benefit is upon us!

The Price is Nice Auction is now live on Paddle8. Check out the collection of Spudnik Press’ newest editions, generously donated artworks from Chicago artists, and works by Spudnik Press Members.

Support us from afar and bid remotely OR join us for a fun night of games, bidding, and networking on October 19th at The Price is Nice: Annual Benefit for Spudnik Press.

New Editions By:
Candida AlvarezAndrea CarlsonRyan Travis ChristianBrendan FernandesArnold KempFaheem MajeedPaul NuddSteve Reinke, and Joe Tallarico.

Plus Artwork By:
Alberto AguilarDeborah BoardmanEmmy Star BrownElijah BurgherLilli CarréAlex ChittyDon ColleyAndreas FischerChris FlynnBrad FreemanCameron HarveyAnita JungJoshua KentSandra LeonardMiller & Shellabarger,Viraj MithaniAudrey NiffeneggerBetsy OdomB. Ingrid OlsonSherwin OvidRoni PackerMelissa Potter & Maggie PuckettKaren Reimer, Deb SokolowRuby T, and Anne Yafi.

Member Artwork guest juried by Stephanie Cristello:
Reevah AgarwaalLisa Glenn ArmstrongTeresita Carson ValdézCat ChenDavid KrzeminskiDutes Miller, and Joshi Radin.

 

Image: Still from The Price is Nice video by Lya Finston. Watch the whole video here!


Paddle8’s online bidding platform and iPhone app allows for seamless bidding on featured lots in this benefit auction.

Bidding starts October 3 at 11:00 AM CST.

To register and start bidding, visit Paddle8.com or download the Paddle8 iPhone app.


How to Participate

Online

  • Visit Paddle8.com to register to bid and to follow your favorite artists, designers, and lots.

On Your iPhone

  • Download Paddle8’s free iPhone app from the App Store. You’ll be able to register, bid, monitor auctions, and follow lots by your favorite artists and designers even when you’re away from a computer.

How to Bid

  • Enter your maximum bid. The system will then automatically bid on your behalf up to this amount as necessary to maintain your position as highest bidder.
  • You’ll be automatically alerted if you’re outbid.

Check Out

  • If you are the highest bidder at the close of the auction, you’ll receive an email about next steps for payment and shipping or pick-up options.

Thank you to our Sponsors!

  

2019 New Editions to Debut at EXPO Chicago | Booth #433

Spudnik Press Cooperative is excited to debut many new 2019 Editions at EXPO Chicago (Navy Pier, September 19-22). Please visit booth #433 to see and learn about the many special projects we have completed with a selection of well-recognized Chicago artists in 2019.

New 2019 Editions:

Candida Alvarez
Brendan Fernandes
Faheem Majeed
Paul Nudd
Steve Reinke
Joe Tallarico

Selections from Our Residency Program:

Andrea Carlson
Jonathan Herrera Soto

Featured Returning Editions:

Judith Brotman
Dana Carter
KG
Jeroen Nelemans
Kay Rosen

In the Flat Files:

Claire Ashley
Elijah Burhger
Lilli Carré
Holly Cahill
Edie Fake
Richard Hull
Kelly Kaczynski
Raeleen Kao
Arnold Kemp
Chad Kouri
Benjamin Larose
Judy Ledgerwood
David Leggett
Caroline Liu
Miller & Shellabarger
Steve Reinke
Viraj Mithani
William J O’Brien
Roni Packer
Alice Tippit
Orkideh Torabi
Amanda Williams
Brittney Leeanne Williams

In addition, our flat files will include select work from our Residency Program, publicationsTen x Ten collections, and more.

EXPO Chicago Sneak Preview:

Candida Alvarez
Henri y Rei conmigo, 2019
Screenprint
20″ x 23″


Brendan Fernandes
Stud II, 2019
Screenprint
30” x 36”


Paul Nudd
Chunk Hugger 2, 2019
Collograph
15” x 18”


Joe Tallarico
Unstable Table, 2019
Aquatint Intaglio
15″ x 18.5″

Learn more about EXPO Chicago

Spudnik Press’ Annual Benefit to Honor Audrey Niffenegger

The Price Is Nice: Annual Benefit for Spudnik Press Cooperative

Honoring Audrey Niffenegger

Hosted by KG

Saturday, October 19, 2019
6:00 p.m.

Low Res
1821 W Hubbard
Chicago, IL 60622

Download the Press Release

Chicago, IL (August 10, 2019) – With a gameshow theme, The Price Is Nice, the 12th Annual Benefit for Spudnik Press Cooperative takes place on Saturday, October 19, 2019, 6:00 pm at Low Res Studios.

This event is as much showcase as it is showdown. Friends outbid friends–and strangers alike–on both live and silent auction artworks, which include many of Chicago’s most notable emerging and established visual and print artists. Beyond the bidding, participants can partake in gameshow and printmaking inspired activities that would make an impression (pun intended!) on Bob Barker himself. Everyone, of course, will be a winner when we raise crucial funds for Spudnik Press Cooperative.

The Price is Nice  also serves as an occasion to honor Audrey Niffenegger. A prolific artist, author, educator, and community organizer, Niffenegger has influenced a generation of artists and printmakers in Chicago and beyond.

While Niffenegger is perhaps widely known for her bestselling book, The Time Traveler’s Wife, which was adapted for film in 2009, she is also an accomplished printmaker and co-founder of the renowned Center for Book & Paper Arts (CBPA) at Columbia College Chicago. Established in 1994 as a resource for both students and community members, the CBPA was a cultural center that has shaped and strengthened Chicago’s printmaking and book arts scene. Niffenegger’s dedication to fostering collaboration among printmakers, book artists, writers, and interdisciplinary artists has in many ways inspired and supported the mission and vision of Spudnik Press Cooperative.

“Niffenegger’s surreal visual novel, The Adventuress, intaglio printed while she was a student at SAIC, was inspirational to me as a fledgling printmaker,” said Angee Lennard, Spudnik Press Cooperative Founder and Executive Director. “Today, she continues to inspire my efforts to provide evermore support to the community of artists at Spudnik Press.”

The Benefit aims to raise $50,000 to support programs ranging from a drop-in Open Studio program to an eight-month Studio Fellowship. In addition to Plink-O and Punch-a-Bunch inspired games, silent and live auctions will feature about 35 artworks including new editions from the Spudnik Press Publishing Program by Candida Alvarez, Alex Chitty, Ryan Travis Christian, Brendan Fernandes, Arnold Kemp, Paul Nudd, Steve Reinke, and Joe Tallarico.

Media Contact

Angee Lennard, Founder + Executive Director
angee@spudnikpress.org
312-563-0302

New Strategic Plan to Strengthen Facilities, Audience, & Artist Support

The staff and board of directors of Spudnik Press are honored to announce our 2019-2021 Strategic Plan that will guide the work of our organization for the next 36 months. Created with support from the Arts & Business Council‘s program, Business Volunteers for the Arts, this document is designed to strengthen our organization through four aspects critical to our mission. Facilities, Audience, and Fundraising all feed into the final goal and fundamental purpose of our organization: Artist Support.

This plan lays out overarching goals as well as a road map to what we hope to accomplish in the next three years. For more details or to becoming involved as a volunteer or committee member, please contact Executive Director, Angee Lennard.

Support our 2019-2021 Strategic Plan 


Facilities & Equipment:

Spudnik Press facilities and equipment are able to fully accommodate the programmatic and administrative needs of the organization while ensuring a welcoming, accessible, efficient, and safe work environment for staff and visitors. A capital expenditures plan enables the organization to make cost-effective decisions regarding all facilities and equipment improvements.

Key Activities:

  • Assess all facilities, equipment usage, digital tools, safety, studio and office workflow.
  • Establish a capital expenditure fund.
  • Schedule short- and long-term facility and equipment improvements.

The Bottom Line:

  • Better equipment, better work flow, more opportunities to print

Artist Support:

Through better understanding the needs of the artists we support, specifically those who are seeking opportunities to develop their artistic and professional skills, Spudnik Press Cooperative will identify and provide impactful professional opportunities that enable artists to sustain and advance their artistic careers.

Key Activities:

  • Collect feedback from current and past program participants.
  • Modify, enhance, or expand current opportunities.
  • Build relationships with more art enthusiasts, curators, art consultants, gallerists, collectors, and peers.

The Bottom Line:

  • Our programs provide pivotal career-advancement opportunities.
  • Artists can financial support their art practice.

Audience Development:

Spudnik Press Cooperative will increase the diversity of our audience, both those we serve and those who support our mission in regards to race, ethnicity, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, and physical ability. To ensure that the organization remains accessible and approachable to all who wish to benefit from our programs, the organization will employ a range of approaches, including clear and compelling public communications and ongoing outreach efforts to new audiences.

Key Activities:

  • Evaluate opportunities to increase accessibility and value of programs to various audiences in regards to race, ethnicity, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ability.
  • Increase outreach events throughout the city.
  • Develop partnerships with arts organizations throughout the city.
  • Update marketing materials to better communicate our value and inclusivity.

The Bottom Line:

  • Spudnik Press supports more creative people through out the city.
  • Spudnik Press is more accessible and more equitable to more people.

Income Development:

Spudnik Press Cooperative is able to garner new sources of revenue from a broad range of supporters including but not limited to individual donors, corporations, foundations, and institutional partnerships for the purpose of bolstering Spudnik Press Cooperative programs. In order to achieve this goal, the organization will maintain a full and diverse board.

Key Activities:

  • Seek additional corporate support in the form of grants and in-kind donations.
  • Grow the Annual Benefit to garner additional funds for the organization.
  • Welcome more individual donors to the Giving Circle.
  • Generate new art sales through art fairs and online platforms.

The Bottom Line:

  • The Studio Fellowship Program is funded through grants or sponsorships.
  • Artwork produced at Spudnik is placed in local and national private collections and museums.
  • Increased financial stability to ensure long-term viability for the organization.

Because each goal feeds into other goals, staff is beginning to work across all four goals this fall. As the plan gets underway, the organization plans to seek feedback from the community through a mix of online surveys, in-person meetings, and volunteer committees.

Our 2019 Annual Benefit, The Price is Nice, will be held on October 19. Spudnik Press aims to raise $50,000 to support our Strategic Plan and ongoing programs.