HARTFORD PRESS CO-OP IS MAKING PRINTMAKING COOL AGAIN
Cafeteria sits down with the Co-Op for a conversation on art, accessibility and community.
In an age of Chat-GPT and all-consuming automation, making things by hand is truly a lost art. Thankfully, Hartford Press Co-Op is fighting to keep the tactile arts alive and well (and accessible). The community-centered organization is working diligently to introduce greater Hartford to printmaking and book arts, an otherwise expensive medium that is difficult to navigate without formal training. “I think it is important to create spaces where artists can lean on other artists and spaces that aren't just for professionals or career artists, but anyone who wants to learn and make,” Managing Director Krista Narciso expresses.
When so many of us feel disconnected from one another as well as our own creativity, spaces like Hartford Press Co-Op can truly be a saving grace, providing the equipment to build a community as well as an art portfolio.
Continue scrolling to read the full conversation between Cafeteria and the Hartford Press Co-Op below.
How did the press co-op get started? Was there a particular moment that led to its inception?
When the Press Co-Op started, I was working as a professor of printmaking and book arts. My students would often ask me where they could go after graduation in the area to continue making their work and I didn't have a good answer for them. Making prints and books often requires expensive printing presses and heavy equipment — literally tons — that is inaccessible to most folks simply because of the cost and space it requires.
Speaking with artist friends outside of the university, I also realized that in general printmaking and book arts aren't very accessible to folks who don't have access to a university. These conversations are what led to the inception of HPC.
What are some of the principles that guide Hartford Press Co-op and what is its mission and ethos?
Community and accessibility. Our mission is to make the democratic art forms of printmaking and book arts more accessible to our community by providing affordable workshops, classes, and sliding-scale co-op memberships.
Can you speak to the importance of establishing third spaces centered around art in Hartford?
In my experience with printmaking and book arts specifically, I think these art forms really necessitate community and collaboration, all forms of artmaking do, but sharing equipment builds connection between artists. I think it is important to create spaces where artists can lean on other artists, and that aren't just for professionals or career artists, but anyone who wants to learn and make. It's amazing when we have folks from all different backgrounds and skill levels in conversation and supporting each other in making their work.
What makes printmaking special compared to other mediums?
Printmaking is the process of creating multiple originals of a work of art (not copies or reproductions). It uses a matrix, or what holds the image, ink, pressure, which typically comes from a press, and a substrate, or the material to be printed on, often paper or fabric. Because you can produce multiple originals that are typically all identical, printmaking is often referred to as a democratic medium. HPC believes that for it to be truly democratic, however, anyone who wants to make prints should have access to the space and materials to do so.
Is Hartford Press Co-op beginner friendly? What can first time visitors expect?
Yes! We welcome beginners! Many of our classes are specifically geared toward beginner or introductory level printmakers. Our instructors will always meet you where you're at and help guide you in making the work you want to make.
Are there any upcoming events that you'd like to share?
Please check out our upcoming classes and workshops on our website, and consider joining us for one! Something I am really excited about right now is our Maker's Mondays, which is an uninstructed, drop-in and make session. Bring your own project (print related or not) and share space and conversation with other creatives. And, this is not an event, but we have a Sustainable CT campaign going right now where we are raising funds to host two completely free workshops each month, which will further our mission of making these art forms more accessible to our community. So, if anyone is interested and able to contribute, your donation will be matched by Sustainable CT. We sincerely appreciate any support!