NEWS/ARTS “MAY” YOU FIND TIME FOR THE ARTS NEXT MONTH
20 | APRIL 20–26, 2011 | BOISEweekly
ARTS/VISUAL
IT’S A STEAM-ROLLER, BABY Symposium aims to make an im(print) on Idaho art scene SHEREE WHITELY to put the symposium together has served as a For Amy Nack, owner of Wingtip Press— A steamroller is headed for Boise Art Museum. sort of introduction to this idea. which allows members access to presses they No, the building isn’t being razed and the land “I’ve been in printmaking at BSU for four typically wouldn’t have after graduating from sold to make way for a new fast food restauyears and had the same fellow-students, and college—it’s the way prints are made that rant. Instead, on Thursday, April 28, at 10 [working on the symposium] has been really draws her to the art form. a.m., construction work will become art work. nice because we’ve always been together, but “It’s very process-intensive,” Nack said, A steamroller will run woodblocks made this is the first time we have a common goal,” “You have to come up with an image, a maby Boise State students and artists from across trix, inking and you’re managing the paper. It’s Sather-Smith said. “I think the experience is a the Rocky Mountain region. The multi-ton great microcosm of what RMPA is all about.” an ageless art form and is done the same way flattening machine will function as a grandFitterer was awarded a service-learning as it was hundreds scale relief press and grant for the symposium, and students in her of years ago—it’s a will kick off the final classes collaborated with communication stutradition. But there are day of the Rocky April 26-28 at various locations on the Boise dents at Boise State to put the event together. ways to make it very State campus and at Boise Art Museum. Mountain Printmaking Steamroller prints will be displayed at a clos“Printmaking is a very community-driven contemporary, and Alliance’s Inaugural ing reception on Thursday, April 28. On-site art form,” said Boise State student Julie Mcit can have a definite Symposium. registration is $75 or $35 for students. IndiCreedy, who also helped organize the symposocial impact.” Prints made by the vidual events may be attended for a single fee. sium. “It gets colleagues working together, and That social impact Visit rockymountainprintmakingalliance.com for steamroller will be more information. printmaking classes are unlike any other art can be seen at the formed using an adapI’ve class ever taken. It’s fun and so much difopening reception for tation of the exquisite ferent. We want this symposium to be special the symposium, when corpse technique. Temfor Jill. We’re passionate artists for sure.” works from the Leftovers II Print Exchange plates of an animal image—similar to those Other symposium events will include artist will be on display and both Nack and Fitterer used on the event posters—were distributed talks, presentations and demonstrations from will give introductory speeches. by RMPA to various artists. Participants then Candace Nicol of Oxbow Press, Anne Hoff of The Leftovers project involves 120 artists carved their own section of the animal and put the College of Southern Nevada, Justin Diggle from across the world, who each make 14 them together to form a collaborative print. of University of Utah, Andrew Polk of the prints, send them to Nack, and receive 12 Boise State assistant professor Jill Fitterer, University of Arizona, Kathryn Polk of L VIS different ones by other artists in return. Each founded RMPA in 2009 after noticing a need Press, Stefanie Dykes of Saltgrass Printmakers print deals with the idea of “leftovers,” be it for a central organization for Rocky Mounand Melanie Yazzie of University of Colorado surplus materials or an image of something tain-area printmakers. For her, the event is at Boulder. that evokes the idea in the artist. Nack will symbolic of what she hopes her organization Sather-Smith would like the hard also help event attendees make their own can accomplish. work put into the symposium to relief prints on her portable press. “[The symposium is] a way to create new resonate with artists and nonThe sense of sharing connections and break the isolation, bring artists alike. and community is together a community in a new way and forge “I just want everyone connections regionally,” Fitterer said. “It’s also ever-present in to have a good time and the printmaking a way for people to learn more about what to experience what I’ve community. For printmaking is.” experienced this past Sather-Smith, being Although the events begin Tuesday, April semester,” Sather-Smith Fitterer’s right-hand 26, with custom laser-printed T-shirts, what said. “I want them to woman and working artists such as Fitterer do doesn’t typically say, ‘Wow, I just met include anything created with an inkjet printer. with her fellow stuprintmakers from like dents “When I tell people my major, they think 10 different states and it’s printing things on a laser jet printer we did something and wonder how I can together,’ not feel like get a degree in that. So they went to a conferI tell them it’s cuttingence and saw some edge 15th century artwork.” technology,” Boise Attendees State student are welcome to Erika Satherhave some fun Smith said and network with a laugh. in a more “Just like any casual way at art form, it’s a the costume way for people to bowling night express themselves Wednesday, April creatively.” 27, at Emerald Fitterer sees the steamrollLanes. The event will er event as a way for printmakallow everyone to unleash their ing to gain the attention of those creativity and crazy side, beunfamiliar with the technique. cause, according to Sather-Smith: “It will make a spectacle of the art of print“Printmakers do know how to making in a more public format,” Fitterer said. “And perhaps generate some interest.” Jill Fitterer: turning construction equipment into art tools. have fun.” GLE NN LAN DBE RG
Maybe you thought The Community Center was defunct. Nah, it was just hibernating. To celebrate its awakening, organizers are holding an LGBT in the Arts event on Saturday, May 14. The work of LGBT painters, writers, photographers, sculptors and more will be featured, which is fab, but this is also an opportunity for people who may know nothing about TCC to educate themselves on what this longtime organization— founded in 1983—is all about. Hint: its goal is to “unite the LGBT community through education and developmental programs.” For more info, visit tccidaho.org. New artist co-op Green Chutes also has some events coming up in May. On Saturday, May 7, from 4-7 p.m., take some time to meet the GC artists. Beer and wine will be available and it is free to attend. Then on Friday, May 20, from 5-9 p.m., see the work of, and meet, reclusive abstract artist Charles Kadlec (he’s not abstract, his work is). Green Chutes is located in the same building as Salt Tears Coffeehouse and Noshery at 4716 W. State St. For more information, visit greenchutesboise.com. In news from the fast-paced world of the literati, local author Anthony Doerr has just cemented his post as Idaho’s leading literary light. Doerr has won the 2011 Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award for his story “The Deep.” The award comes with a cash prize of roughly $49,000. Are you a writer and feeling a little envious of Doerr’s success? Well, you can learn from the master himself June 13-17, when he teaches a workshop titled Break the “Pre” off the Dictable: A Workshop for Fiction Writers with Anthony Doerr. Presented by the Sun Valley Center for the Arts, this workshop marks the sixth time the SVCA has sponsored a course like this, and the second time that the busy Doerr—who most recently held the exalted title of Idaho’s Writer in Residence—has taught one. The goal for this workshop is to “show students how to sever the cables of their habitual ways of reading, writing and thinking.” On the surface, the class isn’t cheap—$300 for SVCA members and $350 for non-members—but it’s actually an incredible deal to get to spend five days with the man who just walked away with a $49,000 prize. Scholarships are available for all SVCA classes. If paying a few hundred bucks to sit at a desk for a week sounds way too much like a return to college, you can hear Doerr speak for FREE on Tuesday, June 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the Center in Ketchum. For more information, call 208-726-9491 or visit sunvalleycenter.org. —Amy Atkins
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