A large rolling press helps members of the Alabama Print and Book Group, also known as the UA Print Club, transfer their original designs onto different surfaces.
The club meets Fridays in Woods Hall, working independently on various projects or working on collaborative pieces.
Printmaking is an art form that involves creating a design on one surface, usually via carving, and transferring the design onto other surfaces. It allows artists to easily create multiple copies of their work.
“I like having a space where I can comfortably draw and carve and hang out,” said Beth Keahey, a sophomore majoring in biology. “The people here are honestly my favorite part of Print Club.”
The club is made up of students from a variety of majors, not just studio art.
“It’s a lot of people who just want to interact with the art space, and so we have all of the supplies for them,” said Amelia Barilleaux, a junior biology major and the group’s president.
The club doesn’t just stay within the Tuscaloosa city limits. Last month, the club traveled to Texas for PrintHouston’s Rockin’ Rollin’ Prints event, bringing a 3-by-5 foot carved printing block with them. At the event, club members got to work alongside industry professionals as they worked to make prints.
“We also got to meet some senior artists and professionals that we could talk to and just kind of see what other aspects of printmaking they enjoy,” Barilleaux said.
The club printed its design using a steamroller, which will be featured in the “Steamrolled X” exhibition at Sabine Street Studios in Houston until early January. The print from the event is displayed on the second floor of Woods Hall.
Members also use their talents for charity. This past spring, it collaborated with local women’s shelter Turning Point Alabama for the Druid City Arts Festival. The collaboration began when club member Livi King, a junior majoring in public relations, proposed it during an internship with Turning Point.
“It was a really great opportunity for UA Print Club, because it was the first opportunity for the club to do a fundraising event of that nature,” King said. “It was really great to not only raise money for them, but to also provide further information to the public at a festival like that.”
The club is planning on participating in the same event this upcoming spring.
“We’re looking to secure another collaborative partner that wants us to fundraise for them,” King said. “We haven’t gotten the ball rolling yet, but our goal is to secure a nonprofit organization to fundraise for at our next sale.”
