Gallery Night at Polka! Press Cooperative on Friday November 7th from 5-9PM

Enjoy your night by viewing an exhibition of works by Polka! Press artists while meeting members and enjoying relief printing, a print sale, and refreshments.

Where: 2051 Winnebago St, Madison (extremely limited parking available, please find street parking or come on foot/bike)

When: November 7th, 5pm to 9pm

Stop by, print some stuff, and check out your local printmaking collective, Polka! Press

Member Phil planning a fish torso block

Member Emilee carving an accessory skateboard block

Member Kerry carving a bird head block

Exquisite Corpse

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Collective Activity

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Exquisite Corpse 〰️ Collective Activity 〰️

We will be Frankenstein-ing together 3 (or more) carved blocks composed of a head, a torso, and some legs to create uniquely exquisite corpses. Each block is designed by and hand-carved by Polka! Press members. Come assemble a corpse and print your own for free! Donations are welcome.

Member Richard carving a hairy torso block

Member Amy carving a fish head block

Introduction to Screen Printing

4-week course, 6-9pm, Wed. Oct 15 – Wed. Nov 5th, 6-9pm
Polka! Press, 2051 Winnebago Street, Madison
$240, includes all materials
Small class, 4-6 students. Ages 18+
Taught by Bernie of bernie & zuzu

In this four-week workshop, you will complete two printing projects and learn all the basics of Screen Printing on paper. We will cover different techniques for creating stencils, including hand-drawn, paper cut out, or digitally printed*. You will gain experience coating a screen with emulsion, learn to burn a screen with an exposure unit, learn to reclaim a screen, and have ample opportunity to practice printing multiples on paper. Beginners or those looking to refresh their screen-printing skills are welcome. This workshop will prepare you for our Advanced Screen-Printing Workshop. All materials included. *You are welcome to work digitally if you have your own device and knowledge of creation software.

Click here to register at bernieandzuzu.com

Print! With Pride at the NEW STUDIO!!!

Join the members of Polka! Press Co-op in a celebration of art, community, and pride.

Print! With Pride OPEN STUDIO

What: light refreshments, music, art, and community

Where: new Polka! Press at 2051 Winnebago St

When: Sunday, June 8th from 3:00-5:00PM

There will be a letterpress demo by Phil of Washboard Press and a screen printing demo by Bernie of bernie & zuzu. Art will be available for purchase to help support our collective.

Graphics designed by Juliet of Hijinx Mixed Media.

Polka! Print! Party! Fundraiser

Join Polka! Press for our new annual Open House & Fundraiser for International Polka Day!!! Screen print your own Dottie the Chicken t-shirt (bring your own light colored t-shirt) Dottie is our Polka! Press mascot and spokes-chicken! Enjoy a letterpress demo, see the space, meet Polka members, munch on snacks, while listening to, you guessed it, Polka music!

Sunday August 11th, 1-4pm

Polka! Press Print Collective

2132 Fordem Ave, L1 - basement

Madison WI 53704

(behind Banzo!)

Support your local printmaking collective where local independent artists print including @lesleyannenumbers @bernieandzuzu @hijinx.mixed @washboardpress @katheryn.horne_artist @mmmurmelart @sarahinmadison @sfergs93, Sarah O'Farrell, Jim McKiernan, Laura Myntti, Lindsey Rothering and Aidan Higgins.

A Brief History of the Printing Press Featuring Member Philip Hasset

PBS Wisconsin Education takes a “Look Back” at amateur newspapers as a form of communication for young people of the time (AKA the original social media). Our talented member Phil Hasset of Washboard Press demonstrates how to operate his mini printing press. Each individual letter must be painstakingly placed to form full letters, poetry, news, and debate. Phil brings his press with him to events around Wisconsin so you too can witness the magic of the printing press by pulling your own print! Watch this video to learn a little bit about the printing press and the history around early amateur newspapers.

Young people writing and printing their own newspapers became popular in the late 1860s and 70s. This was a time of significant industrialization in the United States. With the invention of a small, hobby printing press, young people could make and share news via their own newspapers and grow communities by printing and swapping them.

At Polka! Press Co-op, we have a wonderful selection of typography in varying fonts and sizes that can be used on our printing press. Members enjoy collecting vintage blocks to add to our eclectic collection of imagery for the press.