| According to president Kim Huyn, the Alberta Printmakers Society’s success is due to hard work by its members and a bit of plain luck. Kim marvels that with very little funding, the society has continued to exist in Alberta for over 15 years. Evicted from their old premises in Renfrew, they found a workable and affordable new space in Ramsay.
AP held a modest opening on a sunny Saturday in September, and visitors jammed the small space, nibbling snacks and drinking coffee. On display were a variety of prints by members of the society, ranging from abstract to figurative, miniature to large in scale, delicate to bold in colour. Kim showed me a large press for lithography, one for etching, a table for silk-screen, an acid room (apparently printmakers need one) and, best of all, a small but pleasant gallery space.
They found the new space purely by chance. Board member Janet Biagioni was driving along 11th Street S.E. and just happened to see a sign. She looked in the windows and knew this was exactly what they had been looking for – and it was within their price range.
That was over two months ago, and members were happy to pitch in to clean, drywall and paint the space. "It was a lot of work," says Huyn, "but the move itself took only two days and 125 dollars."
Members, spouses and students carted all the portable bits and pieces, but moving the presses took four men over seven hours. "Those cast iron presses haven’t changed since the 18th century," Huyn laughs. They had to be taken apart to get through the small doors into the print studio, then reassembled.
Moving from their old residential site marks a positive change. Says Biagioni, "This area has a lot of potential, with Inglewood within walking distance and lots of creative shops and studios. We have a clothing designer in the same building and a violin maker next door."
Calgarians of all ages can try their hand at printmaking and related techniques by signing up for one of the classes offered by AP. Holly McWilliams, an active member who was granted a printmaking scholarship two years ago, is now the outreach and education coordinator and just began teaching fall classes. "The first one was a children’s class, and they really enjoyed learning dry-point etching," she says. "It’s great to see the place being used and the presses rolling."
The printmakers I spoke to are passionate, if slightly defensive, about their medium. Usually defined by the preparation and inking of a wooden, linoleum or metal plate from which pressings are made, they see the process as more meditative than painting or photography. Biagioni is excited about etching, while McWilliams enjoys doing portraits using a combination of techniques. They lament that their chosen field seems to lack the profile of more mainstream media.
Huyn thinks the new Artist Proof Gallery may help to change that. "We’re especially pleased about the potential of the gallery to raise the profile of the medium and the artists," she says.
Hopes for the future include having a part-time paid gallery position, more classes in various media, exchanges with other print studios and, most importantly, more artists using the equipment and making art. Finishing touches will continue to be added to studio and gallery in time for a popular annual event, the Mini Print Salon Exhibition and Sale, coming up in December – a great time for the public to view the new space and the work of Calgary printmakers.
The Alberta Printmakers Society studio is located at 2010-11th Street S.E. For more info, e-mail alberta.printmakers@yahoo.ca or call 287-1056. |
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