Spudnik Press Cooperative is proud to introduce our next Studio Fellowship cohort, a group of six committed and talented emerging artists. Through the course of their fellowship, they will receive professional, artistic, and technical support that specifically addresses the needs of printmakers.

Established in 2013, this program to date has supported 49 artists with unfettered studio access to support the creation of a new body of print-based artwork, as well as a variety of other resources and opportunities. 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.

With this cohort, we are increasing the number of artists this program serves. For the first time, we are bringing on six fellows instead of four. We feel that this is a small but essential way we can support our community. Now more than ever, artists need a reliable and communal space for artistic production.

At this time, we cannot physically invite these artists to our studios. While the many benefits of their fellowship are currently on hold, we remain honored to introduce these artists and look forward to scheduling their fellowship as soon as it is safe to do so.

Additionally, we would like to thank our outgoing studio fellows, Marc Benja, Efrat Hakimi, and Teresita Carson Valdéz for their inspirational art practices and their dedication to our Open Studio program. Once are studios are able to re-open, we look forward to the period of overlap between these two cohorts and nine artists.

Congratulations to our 2020 Studio Fellows:

Kelsey Gibson
Samantha Hensley
Dan Landgren
Griffin Miller
Osée Obaonrin
Robert Stokowy

Kelsey Gibson

Having been born and raised in St Augustine, the nation’s oldest city, there is no question as to why I’ve always found myself attracted to the antiquated and obsolete. I find myself significantly more intrigued by the past than with the future, and this notion is something that I explore with my art— not only through imagery but also by choosing manual printing as a means of production. I strive to educate and to preserve public history by studying and depicting the architecture, furnishings, and textile patterns of the past, however, I am particularly fascinated by the whimsical area in which the past and present visibly overlap.

Samantha Hensley

Sam Hensley is an printmaker, storyteller and sculptor from Kentucky. She mends together little storybooks for tales of endearing yet unsettling creatures of varying sentience. Nursing the emotion between disgust and affection for things that cannot be understood, she reflects her own experiences with mental illness, gender identity, and just feeling misshapen in your habitat. The telling of these stories is further aided by animatronic puppets that she constructs as vessels for her tragically friendly beings. She recently received her BFA from the university of Kentucky.

Dan Landgren

Dan Landgren is a motion and graphic designer based in Chicago.

“I graduated from DePaul University with a BFA in Graphic Design and a minor in Animation. As a multi-disciplinary designer, artist, and printmaker I have experience in 2D/3D animation, UX/UI design, videography + photography, bookmaking, screen printing, and risography. The driving force behind my work is experimentation and learning.”

Griffin Miller

Griffin Miller makes work under the online persona plant_boi.

“My work is primarily a formal experiment in shape, architecture and interaction of objects.  Through this lens I have developed an interest in certain objects as visual means of communication; specifically: vessels, entryways, circles and their disruptions, repeating patterns and faces.  I find these designs, successful and unsuccessful, to serve as a basis for my own logical and functional limitations when drawing.”

Osée Obaonrin

Osee Obaonrin is a writer and fiber artist originally from the Republic of Benin, who grew up in the Maryland/DC area and currently resides in Chicago, IL. Obaonrin focuses primarily on documentation. Documenting self. The feelings of grief and acts of mourning as a means of reflection and also as a means of actually performing the processes of grief and mourning. She attempts to reconcile with the losses that have opened her to grief, the pain that has come along with it and perhaps find hope as a means of resistance.

Robert Stokowy

Robert Stokowy is an artist and composer from Cologne, Germany. His work consists of experimental compositions, text-based interventions, performances and installations. More conceptual works utilize artistic practices such as photography, writing, printmaking and drawing. All projects are framed and connected by an overarching artistic research process, focussing on inner structural characteristics of found or created sonic environments. Using a radically reductive and interdisciplinary approach, Robert’s work investigate modes and possibilities of sonic accessibility. In short art is used as an interdisciplinary tool to understand one’s environment and the human condition.

Image: Clockwise from top left: Details of artwork by Kelsey Gibson, Samantha Hensley, Dan Landgren, Griffin Miller, Osée Obaonrin, Robert Stokowy

Jess Christy, “sage advice from the red plum,” Cyanotype, March 2020

Dear community,

Spudnik Press Cooperative will be closed until the stay-at-home order, which is currently set through April 7th, is lifted. All April programs, including Open Studios, Studio Access Trainings, Drink & Draw, and Volunteer Sessions are also suspended until further notice. While it is too soon to begin scheduling our roster of classes and events, we eagerly anticipate that day!

The foundation of our organization is our studio. Our mission is rooted in providing a gathering space for artists and anyone who wishes to be creative through print. The value of our programs stems not just from access to equipment, but to the relationships and support networks that prosper through our shared open studio sessions, classes, internships, fellowships, residencies, and events.

While we are taking this unexpected hiatus from programming, staff are ardently using this time to consider how to best welcome you back to the studio. We are leaning into our dedication to our community, and thinking creatively about ways to adapt our summer plans to support a community facing unanticipated hardships.

The toll this pandemic is taking on all communities, including the Chicago arts, is unprecedented and we need to take care of ourselves and each other, now more than ever. With this in mind, we are sharing a list of resources below, related to artistic support as well as housing, food security, and other basic needs.

Moreover, we cannot support our community without the backbone of our organization: our staff and studio space. We would like to ask for your support in ensuring Spudnik Press Cooperative remains resilient. If you are able, please consider pre-paying for your next studio visit or class, making a donation to support our ongoing costs, or contacting your Members of Congress about the importance of relief for nonprofits and freelance artists.

Throughout this, we are prioritizing compassion, while working to ensure that we are able to continue serving our community well into the future.

With your health and wellbeing in mind,
Spudnik Press Cooperative Staff & Board of Directors

Artist Resources

List of resources from the City of Chicago specifically for artists.

CERF+ The Artists Safety Net  is conducting a national survey of studio based artists to understand the challenges they are facing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data gathered will help us advocate for artists and inform how we can address immediate and long-term needs.

ArtsReady: An online emergency preparedness service by and for arts/cultural nonprofits.

COVID-19 Freelance Artist Resources

Creative Capital Arts Resources

Chicago Artists Relief Fund
*Applications for aid currently closed

Requesting Support in Hard Times: It’s important to remember that asking for support in a difficult time is appropriate. Download these templates for some helpful language. (PDF | Docx)

General Resources

Chicago COVID-19 Help & Hardship mutual aid network, to ask for and donate money within your community.

Rent & Mortgage:

• The Action Network Petitionss for a rent & mortgage freeze.
• “COVID-19 Organizing Toolkit” for renters, by the Autonomous Tenant Union.
• Metropolitan Tenant Organization for rental rights and resources.
• Chicago Tenants Can’t Pay Rent has sample letters for tenants and ways to get involved.

List of resources from the City of Chicago. Scroll down to the bottom of resources by category.

Xfinity os offering free WiFi at any Xfinity hotspot. Simply select the “xfinitywifi” network name in the list of available hotspots and then launch a browser. They are also offering free Internet Essentials for qualifying families.

Greater Chicago Food Depository is open. Find one of their 700 locations near you.

Filing for unemployment in Illinois

Volunteer Opportunities: If you are able to help, there are so many ways to do so. However, please remember that this is not a free pass to violate the stay-at-home order!

A lot of medical centers are asking for people to make and donate Face Masks. If you can sew and have any fabric scraps, you can make them too. Check out this how-to guide!

To all in our community,

The health, wellbeing, and safety of our community and the broader communities in which we live are our highest priorities. With public safety in mind, we are taking proactive steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by pausing all public programming effective immediately.

Our decision is in accordance with global health authorities to keep our staff and community safe from what experts, including the World Health Organization, are calling a “global pandemic.”

We are taking the following steps to minimize all non-essential gatherings as well as the use of mass transit to and from our studio: 

• Open Studios are cancelled until further notice
• Group Classes are postponed until further notice
• The following events are postponed at this time:
  • March 18: Volunteer Session
  • March 24: Queer Materialism dialogue
  • March 25: Study Session
• All other events in April and beyond may be cancelled or postponed based on developing recommendations of healthcare experts such as the CDC. 
• If you are enrolled in a one-on-one private lesson or the March 15th Portfolio Review, you will receive additional correspondence regarding your registration. In the case that both parties are comfortable meeting one-on-one, the studio will be accessible.

How to Use The Studio:

• At this point in time, keyholders without symptoms are welcome to continue using the studio. 
• At this point in time, staff will try to accommodate other reasonable requests to gain studio access, always prioritizing the health and wellbeing of our entire community.

For those who do plan to use or visit our studio:

• As of today we have cleaned and disinfected surfaces and equipment to the best that we are able.
• Hand sanitizer is available for people to use in the studio. If you do choose to use the studio, we ask that you wash your hands on entering and exiting the space, and use the hand sanitizer provided. 
• Unless you have keyholder access, please call ahead of your visit to ensure the studio is staffed.

We understand that this message will not answer all of the questions that our community may have about these decisions, and that we will need to follow up soon with students in greater detail regarding rescheduling and/or refunding program fees. 

These are unprecedented circumstances; staff is committed to staying up to date with all developments, and doing all we can to keep our community informed of our plans. 

Sincerely,

Spudnik Press Cooperative Staff & Board of Directors

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:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Chicago Department of Public Health
• World Health Organization

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.

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

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

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 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 Press, Carlos Pozo Art, Ben Muñoz, Red Trillium Press, Temple of Print, Dennis McNett / Wolfbat Studios, Reboprints, Qiaoyi Shi & Lucky Risograph, Michael Menchaca, Flatbed 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

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!

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 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 Christian, Edie Fake, Kelly Kaczynski, Brittney Leanne Williams, Judy Ledgerwood, Steve 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 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 Alvarez, Andrea Carlson, Ryan Travis Christian, Brendan Fernandes, Arnold Kemp, Faheem Majeed, Paul Nudd, Steve Reinke, and Joe Tallarico.

Plus Artwork By:
Alberto Aguilar, Deborah Boardman, Emmy Star Brown, Elijah Burgher, Lilli Carré, Alex Chitty, Don Colley, Andreas Fischer, Chris Flynn, Brad Freeman, Cameron Harvey, Anita Jung, Joshua Kent, Sandra Leonard, Miller & Shellabarger,Viraj Mithani, Audrey Niffenegger, Betsy Odom, B. Ingrid Olson, Sherwin Ovid, Roni Packer, Melissa Potter & Maggie Puckett, Karen Reimer, Deb Sokolow, Ruby T, and Anne Yafi.

Member Artwork guest juried by Stephanie Cristello:
Reevah Agarwaal, Lisa Glenn Armstrong, Teresita Carson Valdéz, Cat Chen, David Krzeminski, Dutes 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!