A New Community Celebration of Printmaking at Highpoint

Banner Image: Highpoint Adult Ed class with Edson Rosas. Image courtesy of Highpoint.

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There exists a perception that printmaking is an inaccessible art form, it stems largely from its association to specialized equipment and a dedicated studio space which not everybody can afford. The reality is the cost of making prints can add up (paper, inks, plates, emulsions, equipment, etc). But by leaning on community print shops and cooperative workspaces artists have been able to overcome some of these challenges. Highpoint Center for Printmaking in Minneapolis has been a pioneer institution in providing community access to printmaking since its founding. Notably, its Free Ink Day events, held since 2002, have cemented the organization’s commitment to offering the community free access to the world of printmaking. Free Ink Day has been the organization’s main public-facing program ever since. 

On May 30, Highpoint will launch a brand-new, free, community celebration of printmaking called Print Fest, it “expands the joyful, inclusive spirit of Highpoint’s community programs by inviting everyone to explore printmaking in all of its forms.” It distinguishes itself from its progenitor, Free Ink Day, by lasting the whole weekend and allowing a wide range of experiences; from a collaborative art project, to hands-on activities, to printmaking demonstrations, to a salon-style exhibition.

 

Top Image: Highpoint artist demo by Miquel A. Aragon. Bottom Image: Prints by Lynda Grafito from a demo, May 9 2026. Images courtesy of Highpoint.

 

What makes Print Fest singular are the opportunities to engage directly with artists at work, many of them awarded printmakers, renown educators, and thriving collectives in our community. Participant artists include: Lila Schull, Christopher Alday, Maneli Aygani, Maria Cristina (Tina) Tavera, Bohemian Press, Anissa Cavazos, Jasper Duberry, Lynda Grafito, Kara Faye Gregory, Juxtaposition Arts, Meher Khan, Aiyana Kline, Andy Mauleon, Amira Pualwan, Skoden Studio and Native Youth Arts Collective (a program of Little Earth). Five demonstrations will allow the public to participate in custom bandana screenprinting with Bohemian Press, explore monoprinting with Maneli Aygani and Kara Faye Gregory, screen print on leather with Tina Tavera, make woodcuts with Jasper Duberry, and try patterns on stone with Lila Shull.

 

The Collaborative Public Art Project portion of the festival is titled Together We’re Strong and will be led by local artist Lynda Grafito on Saturday May 30th and Sunday the 31st. I met Grafito in 2024 in the context of the exhibit Latina and Latinx MN: Re/Claiming Space in Times of Change held at the Catherine G. Murphy Gallery of St. Catherine University in St. Paul. I stood in awe and admiration at a large linocut and collage titled Sin Bordes made by the artist. It was not just Grafito’s bravura and creativity as a visual artist, but her deep social commentary and blending of cultural perspectives that moved me and caught my interest. In the words of Colombian artist and writer María José Castillo, “Grafito’s Sin Bordes collages the border wall between the United States and Mexico surrounded by different types of mushrooms at each side, a reminder that man-made barriers are imposed on territories that are part of bigger ecosystems, still keeping their underground communication regardless of political affairs” (catalog Latina and Latinx MN). Grafito’s first experience at Highpoint was as part of TALC, Teaching Artist Learning Community, in 2023. TALC is a paid program designed for early-career Minnesota-based BIPOC artists who are interested in growing their teaching practice in printmaking. The program is led by educator and printmaker Nancy Ariza. 

 

Image: Highpoint studio talk with Adebunmi Ghadebo. Image courtesy of Highpoint.

 

Print Fest coincides with Highpoint’s 25th anniversary co-op exhibition. Highpoint Center for Printmaking was founded in 2001 by Carla McGrath (former Walker Art Center educator) and printmaker Cole Rogers. The Center is one of the most supported non-profit organizations in our state, including support from the McKnight Foundation, the Jerome Foundation, and general operating support from the Minnesota State Arts Board –a testimony to their great work. Organizations like Highpoint Center for Printmaking have increasingly boosted their attendance, diversified their programs, and removed financial barriers by prioritizing their role as public, mission-driven access institutions that serve all community members.◼︎  

 

Highpoint at Open Streets 2024. Image courtesy of Highpoint.

Note from the author: 

I must confess that I had not fully delved into the history of printmaking nor the social practice dimension of printmakers until I moved to Minneapolis a couple of decades ago. My past knowledge on the subject was limited to what I had superficially taken an interest in while in college; the anti-papal pamphlets produced during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th-century, and the gráficas produced at the Taller Experimental de Gráfica de La Habana, Cuba since the 1960s. I was ashamed for not having looked into the work of Mexican illustrator José Guadalupe Posada earlier in my career (of whom I learned more about while in Minnesota, thanks Luis Fitch, Nancy Ariza and Tina Tavera), or even more ashamed of not becoming interested on the origins of lithography in my own country Venezuela which date to 1823. 

Print Fest: A Community Celebration of Printmaking will take place on May 30 & 31, 2026, 11–5 each day. The Mega Co-op Show Reception will be held on Friday, May 29 from 6:30 – 9 PM. Highpoint Center for Printmaking is located at 912 Lake Street West in  Minneapolis.