STPI Open House 2021: A Printing Odyssey

Creative workshop and gallery STPI is holding its annual open house this week. Titled Font Memories, visitors can take part in over 10 activities of different printing techniques guided by STPI artists and volunteers.

Admission is free but donations are welcomed - blank tote bags and notebooks are available at the registration counter for purchase so you can handprint a design on them.

Identity

Font Memories’ colourful identity celebrates different typography and printing terms, from Aquatint to Z-fold. Many of these printing methods, including aquatint, are available for visitors to experience during the open house.

The modular aesthetic allows for neat applications, keeping the rainbow of colours in check from overshadowing the actual content.

Each visitor is given a stamp card to track the progress of completed activities which doubles as a cute memento, but the real souvenirs are printed creations of the activities.

Activities

In “Print with the Pros”, visitors can try relief printing, lithography, screenprinting, and more. STPI artists will guide you though the different printing processes and explain the nuances that go into creating a good printed - and uniquely handmade - creation.

Screenprinting

Lithography

Relief Printing

SPTI’s level 2 activities are mostly seated activities, and they include shrink plastic keychain making and miniature bookbinding. Both activities can also be done at home, as they only require common household items to create.

Shrink Plastic Keychain Making

Design your own plastic keychain using colour pencils and markers before the designs are popped in the microwave oven for shrinking.

Miniature Bookbinding

Requiring only coloured paper and glue, this activity could be your new pastime.

There are also activities at the entrance of STPI. For kids (or the young at heart), there is a ring-tossing game designed to teach some printmaking and papermaking terms.

For those who prefer crafting instead of games, try dip-dying different patterns using black and red dyes.

This open house reminded me of how art events used to be pre-pandemic. Safe distancing and mask-wearing aside, I feel at ease that art events are slowly returning to normal, cautiously but optimistically.

The open house ends tomorrow, so do visit STPI for an enriching afternoon of artistic printing.

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