By appointment only. Email industries@as220.org to set up a time to visit. If you are already a member, please book time 48 hours in advance on Booked.
We are located on the 1st and 2nd floors of the Mercantile Building at 131 Washington St. in downtown Providence. Our main entrance is at the rear of the Mercantile, on Lucie Way, a pedestrian walkway accessed via Mathewson St. For elevator and handicapped access, use the front entrance of the Mercantile Building.
Face Factory Workshops with the Providence Comics Consortium
We have a giant fake school bus and we are gonna drag race it down Empire Street with all of your favorite Providence Comics Consortium characters at Foo Fest. But we need your help! Come to our free workshops and get involved in the madness that this year’s Foo Fest Artists-in-Residence, Julia Gualtieri and Walker Mettling (Providence Comics Consortium officials) have cooked up. Construct masks, puppets and props for the spectacular parade happening during Foo Fest on August 9th.
Workshops are free, all are welcome, and all materials will be provided.
Workshop Dates and Times:
Saturday, August 2nd, 1-4pm at the AS220 Performance Space
Monday, August 4th, 4-8pm at the AS220 Labs
Tuesday, August 5th, 4-8pm at the AS220 Labs
Wednesday, August 6th, 10am-2pm at the AS220 Labs
Find a date that works for you and register for the class using Brown Paper Tickets.
NOTE: All workshops will be held at AS220 Labs EXCEPT for the first workshop on August 2nd, which will be held in the AS220 Performance Space!
AS220 Performance Space: 115 Empire St. AS220 Labs: 131 Washington St., entrance in back of building on Lucie Way
July 3, 2014
News: Instructor Spotlight: Carey Goodrich
Michael Rich and Carey Goodrich working on a new print
Carey Goodrich was born and raised along the shores of Connecticut and Massachusetts. She graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, GA with a BFA in Photography and Printmaking in 2013. She currently resides in Providence, RI working as studio manager and master printer for Michael Rich. She also teaches the Intaglio class at the AS220 Printshop. This three session class is meeting this summer on July 14, 21 and 28. We interviewed Carey to find out more about her Intaglio class and also what she has been working on at the Printshop since she became a volunteer member this past winter.
Adam Intaglio Print by Carey Goodrich
How long have you been working with Intaglio?
I started etching in 2011 in an attempt to avoid the hardcore Drawing III foundations class at SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design). Within two weeks I had declared a printmaking minor to my degree and made every elective possible a printmaking class. Since that first etching class I haven’t gone more than (a quite painful) six weeks without making prints.
What you are currently working on?
I have recently thrown myself deeply into a suite of sugar-lift etchings appropriating photographs my great grandfather took during World War I. I am taking his photographs, how he saw the world and events around him, and applying my etching and drawing techniques to bridge consciousness between generations. Family has been a very strong driving force in my life because, whether I am conscious of it or not, that legacy has put me into the opportunities I have now.
How did you get involved at the AS220 Printshop?
AS220 attracted me because it was a place phentermine med outside of college where I could continue producing professional quality work without facing a scary collegiate tuition. I originally came here solely to produce prints but have found myself increasingly involved and in love with a much larger haven for handmade creativity than I ever anticipated.
What can students expect to learn in the Intro to Etching class?
Students in my class get thrust into my passionate understand that anything can be made on a copper plate! I show my students traditional hard and soft ground ferric chloride etching and the intaglio printing progress. We also touch on multiple plate etchings and an introduction to the aquatint process. In addition to traditional introductions to processes I instill the experimental joy in having a personal relationship with every plate an artist/hobbyist produces. With the easy digital age we live in I emphasize the quality of work and of connection that nothing besides a hand pulled print can offer.
What is your favorite part about teaching the class?
I spent college figuring out how I could manipulate copper and I have gotten to the point where I am giddy and bursting to share everything I know with anyone who cares to listen and try. Part of my intaglio passion exists to spread the joy and freedom I have found in adapting modern techniques into a traditional process. I am here now to tell everything I know to any and everyone willing to absorb my excited passion. Etching has completely changed my life in ways far too wonderful to account for, if I can bring that light to the lives of a handful of people than I have found my worldly purpose.
To find out more about the class or to sign up, visit our online shop.
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June 13, 2014
News: Cyanotype Workshop
On Wednesday, June 18th from 6-10pm, the AS220 Printshop is offering a course in Cyanotype. Cyanotype, a photographic printing process that results in a cyan-blue print, is the perfect place to start an education in alternative (non-silver) photographic processes. Not only is this alternative process low in cost and simple to master, but it creates beautiful and distinctive results. This class will be of interest to both photographers looking to broaden their printing options, and print based artists looking to add a photographic element to their work.
The class will begin with a discussion on sourcing, mixing and storing of the chemistry used in preparing the photographic emulsion. Then basic digital negative preparation and enlargement will be covered, along with available options for printing. This course will use a UV light source in the printshop, but printing with sunlight will also be discussed.
Once prints have been made, the techniques of bleaching and toning will be demonstrated and practiced. Finishing techniques will be discussed, touching upon the archival qualities of the prints, to conclude the class.
LindseyBeal is a photo-based artist living and working in Providence, Rhode Island. She has an M.F.A. in Photography from the University of Iowa and completed a Certificate in Book Arts at the University of Iowa’s Center for the Book.
Her work focuses on historical and contemporary women’s lives and feminism. She combines traditional photography (analogue, digital and historical processes) with installation and sculpture to create non-traditional photographic work, trying to find a balance between concept and craft. This work often includes papermaking, printmaking and artist books.
Her work can be found nationally in various public and private collections and she is represented by Boston’s Panopticon Gallery.
January 9, 2014
News: Intro to the DSLR: January 11 & 18, noon-3pm
Isn’t it time to take your snazzy DSLR camera off of auto mode? This two-part workshop will give you a run down on all the essentials to your digital SLR camera. After this class you’ll feel confident using your DSLR, and finally get the pictures you’ve been wanting. Complete with a weather permitting photo walk around downtown Providence! Instructor: Bryant Moscote Are you an AS220 member? Get 15% off any AS220 Industries workshop with your discount code.
Contact Chris at mediaarts@as220.org with any questions
August 3, 2013
News: FREE workshop: make kinetic bird sculptures for Foo Fest!
Paint, collage, and assemble a flock of birds to be used in a performance at Foo Fest! Foo Fest Artist-in-Residence Xander Marro is concocting a rare and captivating spectacle involving birds, cats, witches, and more, and it all comes to life August 10th on Empire St. In this workshop, you’ll get a sneak peek at what’s in store, and create at least two bird sculptures – one for you to carry in the procession.
This is also a great opportunity to come check out AS220 Industries, where the Printshop, Labs, and Media Arts programs offer an array of tools for making just about anything.
There will be three sessions of this workshop that will each accommodate 12 participants:
Tuesday, August 6th, 6-8pm in the AS220 Printshop, 2nd floor
Wednesday, August 7th, 2-4pm in the AS220 Labs, 2nd floor
Thursday, August 8th, 6-8pm in the AS220 Labs, 2nd floor
AS220 Industries is located in the Mercantile Building at 131 Washington St., Providence, RI. The entrance is in the rear of the building, on Lucie Way. Ring the bell when you arrive.
Questions? Contact the Industries Coordinator, Beth Brandon:beth@as220.org.
June 21, 2013
News: July 2: Media Arts Lecture with Brett Henrikson
Brett Henrikson is a Providence based Artist and Photographer. After graduating from RISD in 2011, he has been focusing on making work in the analogue mediums of photography. Brett’s passion of photography is based strongly in the craft and alchemy of the process, from the dying art of C-Printing to traditional Silver Gelatin and the Historical Wet Plate Collodion process, he believes that the hands on aspects of working in the darkroom and using a large format camera give the artist a real sense of creation over their work.
His recent work has been a focus in two subjects. The American west and our cultural interaction with nature. And a large body of work in Wet Plate Collodion comprising of portraits nudes and still lives. Visit his website at www.bretthenriksonphotography.com
Along with his presentation showing different bodies of his work, this will be a great opportunity to learn more about the upcoming workshop he will be leading in the Paul Krot Community darkroom on Wet Plate Collodion Photography. More info on all that here: http://shop.as220.org/products/collodion
AS220 Media Arts Lecture Series immediately follows the AS220 Industries Open House every first Tuesday of the month at The Mercantile Building on Lucie Way. Starting at 6pm, visit AS220 Industries– the Community Printshop, Labs, and Media Arts to find out more about workshops, resources, and membership (not to mention just having fun and hanging out). Visit as220.org/mediaarts to learn more about us.
News: Summer Silkscreen Classes for Kids and Teens
The AS220 Industries is expanding their course offerings to include classes for children. Printshop Keymember Kara Dunne will be teaching two silkscreen classes in the Printshop in July, one for children ages 8-12 and another for teens. In these classes, students will learn the basics of screen printining and be able to print their own artwork. AS220 Printshop Manager Lara Henderson sat down with Kara Dune to ask her some questions about her upcoming classes.
What can kids expect to learn in this class?
Students will learn the ins and outs of screen-printing, and how to apply the technique to what they want to make. Each student will have their own unique idea of what to print and what to print on; another reason why I love teaching screen-printing to kids and teens. First we will use ‘the old school’ way of printing so that they can use this method at home. Students will focus mainly on the photo-sensitive process of screen-printing- the beautiful and simple process that takes place in the AS220 Printshop. Utilizing the special facilities and materials supplied at the Printshop, the students will develop their drawings and designs onto light sensitive screens with the help of an exposure unit. After they’ve developed their screens, they will learn the proper printing techniques of screen-printing. And then it’s off to the races! And printing printing printing. What will they get to leave the class with?
They can expect to come home with a box of cool stuff, jam packed with awesome crazy colorful stationary and cards, as well as bright and bold t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, you name it. For wearables, like t-shirts, they just have to bring that stuff in. They can bring in a few boring old white t-shirts they’ve had forever and go home with a brand new wardrobe. The best part is that they will be able to take what they’ve learned about screen-printing, and make their own t-shirts or cards at home. And teach their parents, friends and siblings!
Can you give a background on your experience teaching kids and teens about silkscreen?
I started teaching silk-screen at a summer camp when I was 18. I taught there for many summers. I’ve been teaching both middle school and high school art classes now at a school south of Providence for three years. We don’t have the kind of equipment AS220 has, but the great thing about screen-printing is that you don’t need fancy facilities to make t-shirts and simple prints, you just need patience and time. I love teaching both age groups because they come to their art instruction with such enthusiasm and love for making things they can take home. Both kids and teens desperately seek a way in which to express themselves, and screen-printing is an excellent way for young people to do just that.
In what ways will the two classes (children and teens) be different?
Both classes will make crazy cool t-shirts and stationary. The teen class will go a bit further and address multi-colored printing methods. They will learn how to make a fine art print that has multiple layers. This is of course for them to take home and give to their parents who may be jealous of their crazy cool t-shirts.
Why is screen-printing a great option for kids?
They love that their drawing or design can show up on a t-shirt, on a poster for their room, on a postcard they send out to their friends. There is so much artistic license that comes with screen-printing, and it’s an excellent way for kids to express themselves.
Join the members of AS220 labs on Tuesday May 21st for Open Hack Night, as we explore the possibilites of using conductive inks and paints in projects. Instructables in partnership with Bare Conductive are teaming up to sponsor this event and provide us with materials. Open Hack Night occurs every Tuesday night and is an opportunity for AS220 Industries members to come together and work on projects as a group. Meetings are not normally themed but we are looking forward to having an opportunity to tinker with this new and exciting medium that lends itself to a collaboration between the Labs and Printshop spaces. We will be getting started around 7pm and will probably wrap up around 9 or 10. This event is open to the public and is completely free, so come down and give the Bare Conductive pens a try and see what Open Hack is all about.
March 28, 2013
News: Black is the New Black, Etching at AS220
Sculpture, drawing, painting, and a dash of alchemy… with its fine line quality and rich, dense blacks, etching is the perfect way to create stunning multiples of your drawings. Come learn the process of drawing in copper, etching the lines, inking a plate, and making impressions on cotton paper at the AS220 Printshop. Our Introduction to Intaglio class is running on Thursday, April, the 11th, 18th and 25th with Instructor Coral Woodbury.
This is an introductory class appropriate for students of all backgrounds and experiences. Above is an image by past Keymember Jesen Tanadi. On the left is sketch that he made, and on the right, the drawing translated into an etching.
In this class basic mark making skills as well as the techniques and processes of an etching press will be taught. Participants will use traditional etching grounds and resists to etch copper plates in a Ferric Chloride solution. Different ways of etching your image into your plate will be covered.
We will also cover ink mixing, application, plate preparation, wiping, as well as paper tearing and registration. Student’s particular interests will determine the direction of the demonstrations, and there will be time for each participant to work on individual projects.
Sign up for the Intro to Intaglio class using our online shop.
March 14, 2013
News: Papermaking with artist May Babcock
Interview of May Babcock AS220 Printshop Instructor, by AS220 Printshop Intern Alison Nitkiewicz
After a successful, sold-out workshop in February, artist May Babcock is returning to the printshop this spring to teach another all-day papermaking workshop. Participants will learn a variety of hand-papermaking methods including basic sheet formation and pulp painting techniques. Students will be able to make as many sheets as possible over the course of the 8-hour class.
May Babcock is a fine artist specializing in printmaking, papermaking, book arts and video. Babcock graduated from the University of Connecticut in Storrs with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and printmaking. Directly after, she joined the graduate printmaking program at the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, earning her Masters of Fine Arts degree in 2011. She has taught courses in all forms of printmaking, papermaking, drawing and two-dimensional design. Babcock has exhibited work nationally and internationally, and also enjoys working collaboratively with her peers. She currently lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
What first got you interested in papermaking?
I went to graduate school at Louisiana State University for printmaking, which shares a space with fantastic large-format papermaking equipment. After working on a collaborative paper and woodcut print project with a fellow grad student (who specialized in sculptural papermaking), I was in love with handmade paper. From then on, I was making paper and pulp paintings together with my prints and book forms.
What are the advantages of printing on handmade paper?
Making your own paper is all about control over your substrate, visually and conceptually. Creating handmade papers for printmaking adds another variable that you can play with. Decide the size, color, shape, texture, surface, opacity, dimensionality, weight…the list of techniques and possibilities are limitless. Also, the fiber you choose for your paper can carry meaning, meaning that can expand and intensify the content in a print or artist book. For instance, paper can be made from recycled clothing, plant fibers from specific places, and reconstituted papers. Paper has the potential to be something more than a static surface, allowing a print to become a physical object for deeper contemplation.
Here are a few examples: Richard Long, Papers of River Muds Combat Paper Project John Risseeuw Megan Singleton
How accessible is papermaking? Will students be able to use these techniques at home?
Papermaking can be surprisingly simple! With just a few basic pieces of equipment, almost anyone can start making handmade paper in their kitchen, basement, or backyard. I make a point to include a “how to make paper at home” lecture in workshops that don’t take place in a paper studio. Most are items you might already have, or that you can inexpensively make yourself. Of course, with more specialized papermaking equipment, one can create higher quality papers, larger quantities, bigger sheets, and use a wider range of techniques with greater ease.
How does making your own paper tie into your own artistic process?
May Babcock Bagasse Pour, 2011 Papercast, Charcoal, 15′ x 4′
Much of my work begins with a specific site, where I collect materials and draw the surroundings to gain a psychological impression of a place, and poignant evidence of human activity. As a printmaker and papermaker, I like to see my work as an adventurous hybrid between the two processes, and experimentation in the studio invigorates my artistic process. The collected fibers turn into paper pulp, pulp used for casting carved woodcuts and forming irregular sheets for prints and book-forms. For instance, in South Louisiana I made bagasse fiber paper (bagasse is leftover from processing sugar cane) for large-scale woodcuts of abandoned sugar mills, and other rusting remnants of agriculture and commerce. Recently, I have been intrigued by Phragmites australis, an invasive aquatic plant in Rhode Island, found along shoreline sites disturbed by construction, ditching marshes, and other interruptions in the landscape.
The next Papermaking workshop will take place on May 25th from 10am to 6pm. Be sure to visit the AS220 Shop class description and reserve your spot today!
News: Learn how to use the Arduino
What is the Arduino?
The Arduino is a very small computer, otherwise known as a microcontroller. It was designed with the intentions of making electronic projects easier and more accessible to artists and makers. The Arduino is hardware that can control lights, speakers, motors, and all other sorts of electronic gadgets. It is also software environment that allows you to program simple computer code to run your project. Learning the Arduino will enable you to bring life to your projects.
We’ve designed a set of workshops that gives you the essential training to get comfortable working with the Arduino. If you are interested in making some interactive projects or have been waiting to learn the Arduino, then check out these Spring Workshops.
Learn how to solder electronics components up by making an Arduino Kit, students will be making NKC Electronic’s Freeduino Kit, which is shield compatible and very similar to the Arduino UNO. You’ll pick up some knowledge of electronic components along the way too.
From powering up to programming, you’ll learn everything you need to know to get started with the Arduino. This class will build a simple “Physical Pixel” project, where students will construct a simple circuit that controls the color of an RGB LED from 3 knobs that the user adjusts.
A project oriented class, where you can take your Arduino to the next level. In this workshop, you’ll build a simple LED circuit that is controlled by data pulled off the internet – like stocks prices, twitter feeds, etc. It is expected that you already own an Arduino prior to taking this workshop, and have some experience already.
Another project oriented workshop, but geared up for folks interested in robotics. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to control motors and mechanical parts to create a simple robot. It is expected that you already own an Arduino prior to taking this workshop, and have some experience already.
January 29, 2013
News: Learn to cut fabric with a Laser Cutter
Learn how to lasercut textiles! This machine enables entirely new possibilities from easily cutting pattern pieces (within 1′ x 2′ dimensions) to creating new textures, functional decorations, dimensional objects, and even etching images or text onto fabric! We can work with both synthetic and natural fibers (both plant fibers and animal fibers.) Some materials will be provided, and you can also bring in your own fabrics. This class will also include sewing tutorials for lasercut textile applications. Different techniques will be demonstrated and experimenting will be encouraged!
News: Etsy 101 Workshop on Saturday Jan 26 1-3pm $25
Need to get a better grasp on how to set up a shop on Etsy? After this workshop, you’ll be ready to start selling your artwork online.
The class covers basic shop set up as well as best practices and tips for successful online selling via Etsy.com We will start with a digital presentation that covers the main aspects of Etsy as they relate to sellers as well as buyers. From there we will dive into listing, tagging, optimizing and general selling tips and tricks.
The class will be taught at AS220 Media Arts by Danielle Spurge–owner, operator and chief executive crafter at The Merriweather Council – a very small business that specializes in custom hand embroidery. For 2.5 years she has been selling her creative products on Etsy.com and has maintained a bran presence and built a reputation within that community. She was recently trained at Etsy HQ to teach this Etsy 101 class which will empower artists to overcome intimidation and get started selling on Etsy.
ATTN book artists, zine makers, poster designers, and anyone with schemes of mass production: our Intro to Offset class begins January 9th and there is still space available! Not only will you be able to produce hundreds of prints in mere minutes, you will klonopintabs also learn to fold on a pneumatic folding machine and use pre-press software. Think how much more efficient you could be in 2013! Register through the online shop: http://shop.as220.org/collections/workshops-printshop/products/intro-to-offset
Photo taken by Jason Freedman, student in the October Intro to Offset class.
December 12, 2012
News: Laser Cut Ornaments
Make some awesome laser cut ornaments at this Labs Workshop. They are an easy way to impress your family and loved ones! This Saturday, December 15th, 10AM.
Here is just one of the awesome ornaments you can make, designed and fabricated by Labs Instructor, Simcha Davis.
November 15, 2012
News: Traditional meets High-Tech
The AS220 Industries provides affordable access to studio space, tools of the trade, varied training opportunities, and offers a diverse and dynamic environment for learning, creating, and sharing.
On one side is the Printshop, which offers access to traditional printmaking equipment. On the other side is the Labs, a high-tech fabrication and engineering studio which offers public access to a laser cutter, and other CNC machinery.
There is now crossover happening between the two spaces. Traditional printmaking techniques viagragen taking advantage of modern technology, using digital technologies to engrave designs into wood plates with the laser cutter.
Here are photos from our November session of Laser Cut Relief printing, a crossover workshop at the AS220 Industries. The class is running again in January!
If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact:
Printshop Manager – Lara Henderson – lara@as220.org
Labs Manager – James Rutter – james@as220.org
November 13, 2012
News: Busy week at the Labs!
Tuesday, November 13th
Industries Open House, 6-7PM Have questions, want to see the Industries, meet the folks who use it, just want to spend some time with our lovely members? Our open houses typically happen the first Tuesday of every month. They are FREE! No money involved, we’ve posted it on the shop just in case you missed it. Each month a handful of our dedicated members are present to run the show.
Intro to Soldering: Drawdio, 7-10PM Un this workshop, students will learn how to make the Drawdio! It is a noise-making musical synthesizer that uses a graphite pencil to create awesome noises. Here is a link for more information about the kit: http://www.ladyada.net/make/drawdio/
Wednesday, November 14th
3DPPVD,”Introduction To 3D Printer Building”, 7-10PM This month experienced 3D printer builder Bruce Wattendorf will be joining us to introduce the concepts and common parts involved in building your own printer. If you can’t pick out your idler from your extruder or what rods work with a lm8uu bearings, this will be the night for you. With our upcoming printer build weekend being honed in on, this is a great opportunity to come up to speed on what you will need to know to join us. Of course there will also be plenty of time before and after to hang out and chat about 3D printers and what is going on in the digital fabrication world.
Thursday, November 15th
Open Hack Nights, 7-10PM Every thursday night, members of the space are encouraged to come down to the Labs and work on their projects at the space. Collaborative projects or individual projects are welcome. If you are interested in becoming a member, this is a good night to come by the Labs to see if it’s a good fit for you.
Maker Movement International 3D Printing Meetup, 9PM Join us at AS220 Labs for theMAKE International 3D Printing Meetup. Our theme for the first meetup is 3D printing. We’ll showcase MAKE’s Ultimate Guide to 3D Printing which features 15 of the hottest 3D printers on the market, and hits newsstands November 20th. Come see what 3D printing is all about. Bring your questions and your 3D printed item for “show and tell!” Everyone who joins gets a free PDF of the issue!
Saturday, November 17th
Laser Cut Textiles, 1-7PM In this workshop, students will learn how to lasercut textiles! This machine enables entirely new possibilities from easily cutting pattern pieces (within 1′ x 2′ dimensions) to creating new textures, functional decorations, dimensional objects, and even etching images or text onto fabric!
Face Factory Workshops with the Providence Comics Consortium
