SPF ’21 Save the Date
It’s no secret to locals that Fort Lauderdale is an art and culture hotspot. But others are taking note. Nylon magazine calls the city “Florida’s best kept secret for art” and Matador Network dubs it “South Florida’s most underrated art scene.” Residents enjoy everyday access to it in mixed-use spaces such as downtown’s FATVillage Arts District, which hosts creators working in art and design as well as business and technology.
One of FATVillage’s most popular attractions is the Small Press Fair, returning in November for its sixth edition as SPF ‘21. Launched in 2016, SPF Fort Lauderdale showcases the latest in print, book and zine making. And with pandemic precautions in place, founders Ingrid Schindall of IS Projects and Sarah Michelle Rupert of Girls’ Club are excited to welcome attendees and artists back in person to network, collaborate, buy and sell, and just explore their favorite medium. “So far, I haven’t seen a virtual substitute for the sheen of hand printed ink on a print or the smell of paper that wafts up while turning a page,” Schindall tells PureHoney. “So we’re glad to bring people back together to celebrate all things print, book and zine.”
At an event best experienced hands-on, SPF ‘21 presents new and returning exhibitors, interactive workshops and, in what has become SPF’s most exuberant print demonstration, a massive steamroller pressing out gigantic woodblock prints. There will be artworks on display from David Wolske, Spacealphabet & Billbilliambilly, Radiator Comics and many more. And for anyone who can’t stop by, SPF ‘21 will carry over some of the last year’s workarounds, including online programming and a live Instagram broadcast at @spfftl.
It was a sign of printmaking’s growing appeal that SPF ’20 still went ahead as a six-hour live Webcast with exhibitors and participants logging in from across the country. “During the pandemic, many artists lost access to community presses and studios so they have had to find creative ways to keep in touch and collaborate from a distance,” says Schindall. SPF ’21 will present these makers at their resilient and imaginative best, and with their works close enough to touch.
SPF ‘21 runs noon-6pm Saturday, November 13 at FATVillage Arts District in Fort Lauderdale.
spf-ftl.com ~ Amanda E. Moore
