As every year, the first weekend of May marks for us the building-wide Open Studios event here at Spike Print Studio. This year our members and bursary exhibitions took over every corner of the studio, and workshops led by our technicians ran over the entire weekend. You all flooded though the doors and made the most of this great chance to see for yourself what we are all about here at SPS!
On Friday 2nd, as the door opened at 6pm, we started welcoming in the public keen to grab a drink and a lucky dip print or two...
Our trusty Adana press was set up downstairs for the PV night to direct people up to our studio with hand-pulled prints, and the public could even have a go themselves.
Alongside a framed keyholders exhibition, our 30x30 members' print exhibition took over the studio corridor with 90 new print editions on show. John Purcell Paper kindly donated all of our members the paper to create these new pieces of work for this specific event. This exhibition was curated with a call out for every single one of our members and tutors to take part in order to showcase the level of skill and variety of styles in our studio, and with all prints for sale at an incredibly affordable price between £35-£75.
Our studio technicians ran workshops in the studio throughout the weekend inviting people to drop in for some collaged zine-making, landscape linocutting and still life monoprinting.
Our current Peter Reddick bursaree Emily John took over the etching room with a 'Work in Progress' exhibition to share what she has been making during the first half of her bursary year, we cannot wait to see what's in store for her end of year show.
Once the weekend drew to a close, we felt incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have shared an insight to our lovely, and growing, print community. Thank you for everyone who came, chatted, admired the work on show, purchased prints, volunteered and supported us in any way! Our 30x30 print exhibition will remain up on the wall and for sale in the studio until mid-June before the editions go up on our online shop. If you want to see it in person, head over on a Wednesday or Thursday, or arrange an alternative time via email.
Thank you all again, and see you next year!