Letterpress Printed Poetry
April 6 @ 10:30 am - 5:00 pm
$186.00An In-Studio Workshop!
Sunday, April 6, 10:30am-5pm
View our current in-studio Health and Safety and Cancellation Policies >>
About this Workshop:
Celebrate National Poetry Month! Bring words to life through a variety of fun poetry-writing techniques and then print the results on Pyramid’s Vandercook press! In the first part of this class, you’ll play with words and ideas, expressing yourself in individual and collaborative poems (even if you’ve never written a poem in your life or don’t think you ever could)! For inspiration, we’ll use a variety of prompts and poetry formats, as well as the artwork from Pyramid’s 2025 Member MashUp exhibition, which will be on display in the Helen C. Frederick Gallery upstairs.
After a break, we’ll choose ink color(s) and type to design our group poem for printing. You’ll learn how to typeset multiple lines on the Vandercook, register paper, ink the press, and pull prints. Everyone will take home multiple prints of a poem that we wrote together, integrating our individual voices into a cohesive collective creation.
Level: Beginner – no experience necessary
Registration closes April 1, 2025. Material fees are included with your registration to cover the supplies provided in class. Students may/will need to gather/purchase additional materials for class (see the materials list below). This list will also be provided with the registration confirmation email.
Sample images by Theresa Esterlund
CLASS MATERIALS LIST:
Registration includes a $15 materials fee to cover consumable materials, including paper and ink. Students may also wish to bring the following items:
- (optional) Personal apron (we’ll have extras) and/or substitute clothes that can get inky
- (recommended) Comfortable, closed-toed shoes (you will be on your feet most of the day)
- (optional) Pen and paper for taking notes
- (optional) Any favorite paper you’d like to try printing on
Note: For your safety we also recommend short sleeves only and that long hair be tied back.
YOUR INSTRUCTOR:
Theresa Esterlund is an artist and educator who lives in Arlington, Virginia. After retiring from a professional career in museum education, she channeled her vision to inspire compassionate connections into a stationery business that reflects the intersection of her artistic and mindfulness practices. Her collages are windows that open to the inside—as well as abstract landscapes and other arrangements. She brings her love of gathering, sorting, and composing to letterpress, which also gives her a path to integrate words and phrases from her poetry. Learn more about her work online at www.opentobeing.com and on Instagram @opentobeing.