November 2024 Newsletter
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Are you coming? Learn more about the fair, or apply to reserve your table as an Exhibitor.
Community and exchange are how change happens.
Think it’s weird that we have drafted and sent you an email about a fun event right now? If it was about any other normal thing we do, maybe we would also think it’s weird.
But this email is about Small Press Fair, and truthfully, our experience of making SPF happen for the last 9 years has felt like a huge boon to our ability to keep going despite all kinds of pain, frustration, sadness and rage.
We say these things a lot, and we mean them:
Being a part of a community of people who are using the tools they have to keep building better lives together can by very healing.
Self-publishing has been the backbone of resistance and speaking truth to power for a very long time.
Making art is political, and making art (whether or not the art appears to be political) is the practice of freedom.
Art and books (and many of the wonderful and wild things that live in their ecosystem) cultivate curiosity and criticality, and we need both of those characteristics in abundance to survive and thrive.
Do we think SPF is going to solve every problem in the tangled mess of systems that we find ourselves in? No, probably not.
But do we really believe that showing up for each other and working together is the key? Yeah, we do. So we are going to show up for all the people we love this weekend — the great collaborators, the artists, the art lovers, the readers, the collectors, and friends old and new — and we’re looking forward to giving it our whole hearts.
So if you’re thinking of joining us at SPF this year, here’s what you can expect:
November 9th and 10th, come to the fair at Mad Arts in Dania Beach to be a part of all the fun we have planned:
Tons of exhibitors: Sitting behind every table is someone (mostly artists!) who showed up with a bunch of their favorite zines/prints/pins/stickers/books/patches/a ton of other wacky things that they love, and they are ready to show you what they’ve got! Look around, make friends, get ideas, pick up some new work to take home.
Live Demos: The only thing as exciting to us as gorgeous finished prints is getting to see and feel how they happen.
Free workshops: The fair is free to attend, and there are a few exhibitors scheduled to lead free workshops at specified times throughout. You can leave the fair having made some art yourself!
Exhibition and Artist Talk with Jacoub Reyes: SPF will be exhibiting a selection of truly incredible prints by Reyes, including at least one huge and very intricate woodblock print on fabric that was printed with our help here at the studio. We are incredibly grateful to have had a part to play in realizing these seriously ambitious prints, and can’t wait to share them with folks at SPF, and to hear what he has to tell us about his practice during his talk!
Great people, food, and beer!
THE PORTFOLIO EXCHANGE IS COMING
Want to trade your art for more art?
We’re organizing a portfolio exchange. For the uninitiated, a portfolio exchange is a tradition in the print world. There is often a unifying theme or set of constraints proposed, and a list of artists are invited to participate. Every artist who participates will submit an edition of prints in the specified quantity, and in exchange, will receive back one print from every edition submitted by every artist participating.
This tradition is all about community and sharing, and is one of the coolest ways for artists to collect work from (and make work for!) other artists with whom they have something in common.
The official invite will go out next week to a bunch of folks who have been involved in a handful of studio programs since we sent out the invite to our last exchange in January 2023. If you’re dying to participate and don’t see the official invite in your inbox within the next two weeks, the only way in is to become a studio member. Invitation to the exchange is one of the member benefits we think is most exciting. Get in touch with us if you have questions.
GET BUSY IN A WORKSHOP
November and December are busy months for everyone. Here in South Florida, the traffic gets heavier, the visits from loved ones fleeing the cold become more frequent, and between the holidays and the art fairs, there’s no shortage of things to do. Consequently, we only have a few workshops lined up before 2025 rolls around, and we think each of them would be worth the time you’d have to set aside for them. Especially true if you feel ready to make things and are excited to get a jump-start on it with a small group of other folks who are just as ready to learn.
Alternatively, class can start whenever you’re ready.
Already booked? Set up a custom workshop that fits with your needs and your schedule. Built for 1-4 people, browse our selection of ready-to-go workshops, or if you want to learn something really specific, you can submit a custom inquiry here.
READY TO MAKE A LOT?
Member passes: 7-day and 30-day options
Book yourself a studio pass and get access to all of the following.
Passes include the following:
Admission to any Open Studio Sessions (RSVP encouraged but not required)
Unassisted Studio Time during our business hours (email Brooke to make sure the equipment you want is available before you come in, but if it is, it’s yours to use!)
Assisted Studio Time at a discounted rate of $45/hour
Not a member? These passes are for studio members only (we do need to know you a little bit before we set you loose in here.) Becoming a member is really easy, and memberships start at just $150 per year. If you want flexible studio access, membership is definitely the move, and it comes with enough perks, invitations, open calls, and discounts to keep you printing all year. You can also gift a membership to a loved one, or put a membership on your holiday wishlist so that they’ll gift one to you!
If you’ve got any questions, you can compare our different membership levels here, and if you still have questions, shoot Brooke an email at brooke@isprojectsfl.com and she’ll be happy to help you out.
SPF Shopping Preview
Not sure what to expect at SPF this year? Here’s a little preview of things you’ll be able to find at our table.
