By Pam Creech
Contributing Writer
Regional professional artists, art students and teachers will create large-scale prints April 18 using an unexpected method: the street and a 2-ton construction paving roller.
Artists will bring 14 4-foot by 6-foot hand-carved wooden printing blocks to the parking lot of the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Cultural Arts Building for the second annual Print Big! Steamroller Print Festival. The blocks will be covered with black ink, and a white muslin sheet will be laid over them before they are pressed with the paving roller.
Shannon Bourne, Print Big’s organizer, said printing will take place all day.
“It’s a really hands-on process. It’s fun — people get dirty and inky. We provide all the ink,” Bourne said.
The work of the Full Belly Project, a nonprofit organization that aims to eradicate poverty in developing nations by providing agricultural devices, such as solar panels and water pumps, inspired this year’s block print designs.
“One of our goals was to tie in a theme with a nonprofit that’s doing amazing work,” Bourne said.
The size of the wood block and the theme of the festival were the artists’ only restrictions.
“They could work vertically or horizontally; they could have a free-for-all,” Bourne said.
The 2014 event, which featured river-themed prints, supported Cape Fear River Watch.
“This is our second year at UNCW,” Bourne said. Previously, the event was hosted near the Carolina Beach Boardwalk.
Bourne, who earned her bachelor of fine arts degree from UNCW, is excited about hosting the party at the Cultural Arts Building.
“It’s nice to come back to your alma mater and bring some fun events,” she said. Bourne is a studio artist and part-time instructor at UNCW.
“This semester, I teach ceramics and 2-D art,” she said. However, Bourne identifies herself as a printmaker.
Print Big’s featured artists are all based out of North Carolina.
“Two instructors from Cape Fear Community College will be there,” Bourne said. Southeastern Community College, the University of North Carolina Greensboro, the University of North Carolina Pembroke and UNCW will also be represented along with eight Wilmington artists including Ben Billingsley, Stephen Bode, Jeremy Millard, Rob Pleasants,
Michael Van Hout, Brandon Guthrie, Chris Thomas, September Krueger, Aubrey Hedrick, Liz Harman,
Frank Nye and Chris Topher.
Bourne hopes to see an increase in attendance from the 2014 event.
“Last year, we started small to test out the new location,” she said. “This year, we’ll be selling T-shirts, food and drinks.”
Spectators can make their own small prints for $1 each.
“Children can definitely do it, too. We love to get spectators involved,” Bourne said. Children will print their own monster by selecting three linoleum tiles — a head, a body and a pair of legs.
“You can assemble your own monster, ink him and print him,” Bourne said.
Onlookers are free to come and go as they please throughout the seven-hour festival.
“There will be signs on campus directing people where to go,” Bourne said.
The Print Big! Steamroller Print Festival is free to the public and will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 18 behind the UNCW Cultural Arts Building.
