Spudnik Press hosted a night of festivities on Saturday, June 7th to celebrate our first year as Chicago’s alternative, cooperative printmaking studio. 3-Dimensional Prints was a group show featuring 23 artists from Chicago and beyond using a variety of printmaking methods atop a blue and red 3-D grid. When these prints are viewed through snazzy Magic Viewing Glasses, the images vibrate and pop off the page.

The Spudnik Press Air Hockey Tournament helped raise funds to allow Spudnik to have a residency program. Applications for residencies will be available July 1st. Players took home prizes ranging from silkscreened posters to journals to votives, etc etc… Jeremy Tinder won the raffle for a free month of open studios at Spudnik Press.

At 10pm, we kicked off the dance party. Good times were had to celebrate the first year of printiness here at Spudnik.

Dec. 1, 2007, Spudnik Press hosted its first print bazaar. It was a cold night; icy and fridgid. But plenty of people braved the weather to see what Spudnik Press is all about. More than 20 printmakers showcased their artistic skills to help support the printshop as well as themselves. Hand-printed items included T-shirts and band posters in addition to traditional prints on paper. Prints were also available for 25 cents from a vending machine. The Cimena Periscope, created by Tim Weidelman, featured the work of Alexander Stewart and Lilli Carré (work will be on display through the end of 2007). The etching press was set up to print monoprints. About 40 prints were pulled through out the night. Laura Williams provided vegan treats like carrot cake, brownies, and bean dip.

One of One: Prints Like No Other

On June 8th, Spudnik Press celebrated its official opening with an exhibition of prints displaying ways that artists have used the medium of printmaking to make one of a kind images, much like painters and printmakers. "One of one: Prints Like No Other" challenged viewers to questions the misconception that prints are made to make multiples. The artwork ranged drastically in type of process, style, scale, and presentation, but all were one of kind work, and utilized printmaking as a tool to create a unique end product not achievable by any other process.