IS Projects is proud to launch our 2020 Existent Books, Convergence by Michelle A. M. Miller and Antillean Lacunae by Onajide Shabaka. As this years publications officially enter the world, this blog post is an opportunity for us to illuminate these phenomenal books and their development.
Read MoreWe dreamt up this series as a way to both engage with other artists in a time when opportunities for interaction feel few and far between and seek guidance on how everyone is coping in an effort to find some much needed common ground. What follows are five artist’s mantras for a sustainable art practice in 2020. Featuring: Jennifer D. Printz, Richard Vergez, Christina Humphreys, Ashley Ortiz-Diaz and Jen Clay.
Read MoreWhile the global pandemic has admittedly halted some dreams and aspirations we’ve had for 2020, our Existent Books programming saw much success and some notable expansions thanks to the generous support of The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation through the Knight Arts Challenge Award we received last year. While our Existent Books project has been developing steadily for the past six years, the added grant funding enabled us to offer a residency stipend for our artists, Michelle A. M. Miller and Onajide Shabaka.
What follows is an interview with both artists reflecting on their experiences during residency while sharing some crucial insights into how their projects came to fruition.
Read MoreDip Dyeing is an umbrella term used for a variety of dyeing methods, but in our workshops we choose to focus on two types, Shibori dyeing for fabrics and Orizomegami dyeing for paper. Both can be used in combination with many printmaking and book arts practices.
Read MoreExistent Books publishing initiative began five years ago in 2015 with very humble beginnings. Ingrid Schindall, the founder and director of IS Projects, opened the studio in September of 2014 with a mission to cultivate a love and appreciation for print and book media in South Florida. Learn all about the origins, evolution and, of course, the books!
Read MoreFor some of us, our practice is a strictly solo endeavor, but for most, feedback and collaboration is an integral part of the process. Printmaking has always been one of the more social disciplines as artists are forced to negotiate press time, often working side by side in the studio and making peer feedback more readily accessible. Without the usual in-person workshops and rubbing elbows around the work table during our Open Studio nights, I wanted to check in with some of our studio members and regulars to ask, How has quarantine influenced your practice?
And I’m so glad I did. I’ve learned about hidden member talents like DIY tattooing and some really creative solutions to studio limitations. But aside from the insights, I also got to reconnect with a few of you in the process which has subsequently inspired a new endeavor in development, Virtual Print Club (more on that soon)! So with that, we welcome you to get to know five of our members, their work and humbly offer a chance to reconnect for those of you who are missing the collaborative studio environment.
Read MoreWhat would IS Projects be without presses? An inert library of tools, ink and type.
If you’ve ever visited IS Projects, you know that our presses are at the heart of our shop. While we are grateful to be printing a steady stream of custom orders, the truth is that press activity is much quieter these days. So, we thought we would take this opportunity to highlight the equipment we hold so dear and share some insights into each press: how old it is, what it’s used for and how it came to IS Projects.
In early March, right before the shelter in place order, we had just hung a fantastic exhibition, The Mechanical Bride, featuring fiber work by Sasha Baskin and Christina Humphreys. The show was set to open at the end of the month during the FATVillage Artwalk, an event where all of the artists and galleries in the area open their doors to thousands of interested visitors. Artwalk was, understandably, cancelled by the middle of the month. With a year of gallery programming planned ahead of us and no clear idea as to when we’d be able to safely engage with the public again, we knew we would need to pivot - and fast.
Read MoreThis new blog is an attempt to document behind-the-scenes of what goes into the prints, the presses, the workshops, the books, and the art. This particular post is meant to give me a little space to share, in a time when natural, deep conversations are scarce and to give you something to read, a voice of encouragement and, hopefully, some insight into how to run a printshop at what feels like the end of the world.
Read MoreHours: Tuesday - Friday 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
