Small Press Fair 2017
SMALL PRESS FAIR
The more print is railed against and declared “dead,” it seems, the more individuals and events spring up to prove otherwise. The Small Press Fair, now in its second year in Fort Lauderdale, is a growing local happening doing good on that counterpoint. Art books, mimeographs, leaflets, chapbooks, zines and the like continue to grow in popularity as new and established artists embrace ink on paper.
“Prints, books, zines are some of the most inclusive, democratic, artistic forms that exist,” says Girls’ Club Gallery Director and SPF Co-Director Sarah Michelle Rupert. “SPF is important because there’s nothing like it here in Fort Lauderdale.” Along with Ingrid Schindall, Founder and Director of IS Projects, a printmaking and bookbinding studio in Fort Lauderdale, Rupert is looking to continue growing this platform as one-stop place, she says, to “learn, show, share, sell and trade.”
The rise of SPF tracks the collective effort of DIY and maker communities across South Florida to show that anything is possible, regardless of skill level, if one gives it a try. “Anyone can make a print, book or zine,” says Rupert. “Everyone’s voice is valid, which is so important, especially right now when it feels like so many of us are not being heard in our community, our state, our country.”
SPF17 by Monica McGivern
Attendees this year can sample works from more than 50 presses, print shops, artists, designers and other participants; create and trade their own zines on-site; watch a giant steamroller printmaking session and other live printing demonstrations; take in readings and panel discussions; and enjoy fare from local food trucks and craft brewers.
Beyond the practical, SPF has cultivated a spirit of camaraderie that makes the fair a place of nurturing for the creative impulse. “The more we can bring people together, the more empathy we develop towards each other,” says Rupert, “and the better off we are as people, as a community.”
SPF17 by Monica McGivern
Learning by doing is the best way to demystify processes, and there’s no better place to get started than at the Small Press Fair. The unbeatable feeling of creating something from scratch will also remind you that handmade trumps mass-produced any day.
The Small Press Fair runs noon to 6pm November 11 at FATVillage, Fort Lauderdale. www.spf-ftl.com
~ Abel Folgar
