PYRAMID ATLANTIC ART CENTER

Best Interns Ever.

2012-01-26T11:56:00.000-08:00

Though they still live at home with their parents, Liz and Nora maintain that they are pretty cool kids, and, as the newest crop of winter interns at Pyramid, they plan on bringing that optimism to their time at Pyramid. In their first weeks they have been busy making paper, using power tools, getting messy, and generally having fun meeting new people and learning about the different programs and people connected to Pyramid.

Liz

Squirreled away in the wilderness of Baltimore, Liz occasionally ventures out to the big bad streets of Silver Spring. She graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, in Philadelphia, majoring in sculpture but mostly making books. She likes to read, sew, and make ice cream in her spare time.

Nora

Born to radical communists living in trees in Louisiana, Nora Burghardt, as one might expect, is excited to intern at Pyramid. In her free time she works as a competitive juggler/magician and cares for her panther, Fluffy. Other than that, She studied English lit. and Studio Art at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and will probably eat anything.

Tailgating Party For Artists

2012-01-24T21:34:00.000-08:00

Event: Artist Tailgate Party
Date: Sunday, February 5
Time: Noon to 5 pm
Place: Fire Station 1, 8131 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring
Cost: $5

Join Pyramid Atlantic at Fire Station 1 before the Super Bowl to print, make books and letterpress. Enjoy lunch or a beer while you screenprint a poster or bring a t-shirt to screenprint your team's logo.

Have an artist help you letterpress a sign for the game or create a special football themed artist book. Get creative before the kickoff at Firestation 1 and make art with us on Super Bowl Sunday!

RSVP to jdominguez@pyramid-atlantic.org so I know how many football cards to bring

Image Credit: Source

Pyramid Atlantic Artist Franc Rosario in "Latines/ Latinhood" Exhibition

2012-01-19T09:42:00.000-08:00

Our own Franc Rosario will be exhibiting photographic works in "Latines/Latinhood". This exhibition, comprised of works by 13 DC based artists, is an exploration of the Latino experience, tracing the lines of self-identity and expressing the visions of what it means to live, feel, grow, and evolve as Latinos.

Latines/ Latinhood gives testimony to the experience of what the artists have seen, heard, touched, and felt – translated and transposed through word, photography, painting, music and installation.

Please join Pyramid Atlantic in celebrating and honoring the following participants: Elva Lovos, Lázaro Batista, Francisco Rosario, Mauricio López, Ronald Chacón, Iván Mendizábal, Luis Peralta, Wilfredo Valladares, Katya Miranda y Alberto Roblest. Saturday reception poetry readings by Quique Avilés, Sami Miranda & Iván Mendizábal, with music by Pepe González.
*view select works by a few of the participating artists here:
http://tresraices.com/artists.htm

Details:

What: Art Show -- free event-- fundraiser  

When: February 7th-13th, 2011

Where: The Consulate of El Salvador, 2332 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Georgetown, WDC

Grand Celebration / Reading/ Music: Sat. Feb. 12th from 5-10pm. No RSVP necessary!  
Beverage and appetizers Friday 11 & Saturday 12.

Other hours: Starting Feb. 7th: M-Th 9a-5p, F 9a-10p, Sat 5p-10p, Sun 1-4

More info: latinhoodshow@gmail.com, tresraices.com 301-910-8952  Curated by Ronald Chacón

**Forty percent of sales from the exhibition are directed to the Fondo Solidario para los Salvadoreños en
el Exterior, FOSSALEX” or the Solidarity Fund for El Salvadorans Living in the Exterior, a non-profit whose
mission is to help families with repatriation or funeral expenses of departed family members passing in the
DC Metro area.

Fruits of her Labor

2012-01-02T06:42:00.000-08:00

Keyholder resident Sarah McDermott has finished the pages for
The Orchard, her book in progress. Find out about her process and progress on the Screenprint Society Blog.

Holiday Hours

2011-12-27T17:16:00.000-08:00

Pyramid's staff and volunteers are enjoying a well deserved rest.
The art center will reopen on Monday, Jan. 2, 2012. Happy New Year!

Selling like Hotcakes

2011-12-14T07:28:00.000-08:00

Saturday's pancake breakfast was bustling, complete with blueberry pancakes, fruit, juice and plenty of hot coffee. Many pancakers stuck around to create a couple of holiday cards in the screenprint area.

Pancakes, please?

Multiple maple syrup vessels. Photo by Lisa Helfert

Rollin-Rollin-Rollin!

2011-12-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

When Howard County school contacted us and asked us if we were interested in partnering with them to help their students produce large scale woodblock prints, based on the theme of Dia de los Muertos, we said "great!" When they asked if they could be printed via steamroller

in our parking lot we enthusiastically replied "Count us in!"

Here are some photos of the fun that took place last Saturday.

COOL meets COZY

2011-12-09T07:32:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth's work looks at home at Tryst

Pyramid Atlantic regular Elizabeth Graeber celebrated her solo show at Tryst in Adams Morgan on December 8. The homey venue is a natural backdrop for Elizabeth's watercolors of everyday items like poodles, chairs, birds and asparagus. Hung salon-style on warm walls, the paintings are deceptively simple. Harkening Maira Kallman, Graeber animates her subjects with an ironic wit—particularly apparent in the angry reindeer trophy above the mantle. Elizabeth hopes "all the work will sell". This show is a must-see. Bring your laptop and stay a while.

MAKE + TAKE: Setup

2011-12-04T09:01:00.000-08:00

All hands were on deck to prepare for the wildly popular first annual "MAKE + TAKE" Dec. 3rd DIY evening at Pyramid. The event drew a huge crowd who were treated to festive drinks, homebaked cookies, hot hors d'oeuvres while encouraged to try out the different disciplines in each studio. The fabulous and famous letterpress calendar, "Drink Me" beverage book and Pyramid sketchbook went like hotcakes. Kudos to all who helped plan and donate to the cause.

SAVE THE DATE: Pancake Breakfast & You

2011-11-30T05:43:00.000-08:00

Event: Pancake Breakfast You; Holiday Card Making
Date: Saturday, Dec 10
Time: 8:30 am - 11:30 am

Place: Pyramid Atlantic, 8230 Georgia Avenue

Come one, Come all to the Pyramid pancake breakfast hosted by Chef Daniel Beavin at Pyramid Atlantic. For just $5 you can enjoy a plethora of pancakes, fruit, juice and coffee and enjoy making holiday cards from handmade paper for friends and family. We'll provide the envelopes too!
Proceeds from our pancake breakfast will benefit Pyramid Atlantic’s arts & education programs.
RSVP (so I know how much syrup to buy!) to: Jose

Make & Take: A DIY evening of cocktails and creativity at Pyramid Atlantic

2011-11-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

Image Credit: Laura Kinneberg

When: Saturday, Dec. 3rd
Time: 6 pm to 9 pm
Where: Pyramid Atlantic, 8230 Georgia Avenue
Cost: $10 (Only $5 for Pyramid Atlantic Members)
Admission includes a print and two festive drink tickets.

*MAKE
a monotype print for your "secret santa"
paper garlands to "deck the halls" & Furoshiki japanese gift wrapping cloth
2 color holiday postcards in the screenprinting studio
2 color wrapping paper in the letterpress studio
Ornaments from old book pages in our book bindery

*TAKE them home and impress your friends and family with your art skills!

*PURCHASE gifts created by Pyramid Atlantic artists including: our 3rd annual Letterpress calendar;
"Drink Me," our recipe book containing 13 linoleum block prints & 13 winter beverages recipes; and
our Pyramid Atlantic sketchbook (8"x 9.5") packed with handmade paper!

Tis The Season To Celebrate Your Inner Artisan!

Familiar Face

2011-11-18T06:31:00.000-08:00

So nice to see Kristen Ripley in the studio. In from NY, she will be with us for a week teaching a bookbinding class and otherwise brightening up the studio.

Maggie Michael in the Studio

2011-11-08T13:56:00.000-08:00

Last week, Maggie Michael visited the print studio at Pyramid for the first time to delve into the creation of a limited edition print.

In the artists words: "I plan to create a work that approaches the historic cliché of windows and painting via abstraction, layering and seriality. I look forward to working with a master printer and combining processes and composition structures by playing with screens, framing devices, piano rolls, and records. These are some of the analog objects I repurpose or freeze into still images, which contrast familiar newer technologies – like how we scroll for information and sometimes meaning."

Maggie came into the studio ready to roll. The screens were exposed, the ink was mixed, and the mylar was awaiting its first layer of ink. It was exciting to view Maggie's process for determining which part of the image she would use. She had a viewing frame which she moved around the image, sort of like a Ouiji Board indicator. Once she found the most appealing composition, we proof printed on mylar, a transparent glassy paper. Maggie has a great sensibility for composition and concept.

Maggie Michael is easily one of the most dynamic artists in the DC Metro Area. She is represented by G Fine Art, has exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Maggie has also been the recipient of numerous awards, including the coveted Trawick prize.

Donors who contribute $250 or more will be gifted one of Maggie's limited edition prints. Help us continue to spread beauty and help people of all ages and abilities make creative connections at Pyramid Atlantic.

Thank you Maggie for joining us at Pyramid!

Lecture night with Emma Steinkraus

2011-11-08T13:38:00.000-08:00

Come one, come all!

Please join us at Pyramid on Tuesday the 15th of November for a rousing lecture from our fall Keyholder resident, Emma Steinkraus. The event will start at 7 pm and be held in the Screenprint Area.

Emma will be talking about the construction of her book, "Memorial", within the context of her recent work. The book is loosely based around her grandmother and pairs text with imagery.

It has been fun seeing Emma around the studio, using the foil stamper, researching, and most recently, burning the mid-night oil on some gorgeous screenprints she will be using for "Memorial".

You can visit her website at:

www.emmasteinkraus.com

2012 Letterpress Calendar for sale!

2011-11-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

The 2012 Letterpress Calendar is for sale! See photos and purchase information on the Pyramid Letterpress blog!

5th Grade Paper Making!

2011-11-08T08:44:00.000-08:00

Last month we had 75 fifth grade students from Sligo Elementary School visit the studio. We made mini-explosion books, toured the Washington Printmakers Gallery and worked together to create two huge sheets of paper! This was the first of a two part session. Later this year the students will return to make prints on the handmade paper they helped create. The students had such a great time!

Sampler Sample

2011-11-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

Laura Kinnenberg holds a handmade sketchbook, one of the many goodies at the Sampler evening

Mark your calenders! One month from today, December 3, 2011, Pyramid will host a "Sampler" evening. The gift themed event will feature hands-on participatory projects in all the studios (guaranteed to help with the holidays), refreshments and lots of original hand crafted and printed items for sale.

"What Does It Mean?" CONTEST!

2011-10-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

We found this print hanging around our studio the other day. It's so great! But what does it all mean? We turn to you, dear readers, for the answer.

Give us your best guess at the idea behind this thought-provoking print and our favorite answer will receive a special something from the interns.

Leave your thoughts in the comments section by next Thursday the 27th at noon!

A day in the life...

2011-10-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

A lot goes on here at Pyramid, but today we have a peek into a day at the studio from our intern's point of view. Enjoy these photos from Tuesday!

Etching tools all lined up!

Jake taking us through an etching process.

Hanging out in the print shop

Litho sponges drying in the sun ;)

Tarlatan all ready for wiping our plates

Making a huge sheet of paper takes many hands!

2012 Letterpress Calendar - Almost ready!

2011-10-18T06:54:00.000-07:00

The 2012 Pyramid Atlantic Calendar is almost ready.... We've got 9 of the 14 pages fully completed and 3 more half-way done. The completed calendars will be assumed and available for sale at the end of next week!

Check out preview photos over at the Pyramid Letterpress blog!

Screenprint Society's Intern Interview

2011-10-16T20:17:00.000-07:00

Katelyn talks about her unique approach to screenprinting.

Introducing Myself

2011-10-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hi, My name is Amanda Lay. I have been volunteering at Pyramid Atlantic now since July. I help to get the word out about classes and special events on blogs and forums.

When I am not at Pyramid, I love going to concerts, seeing movies, bargain hunting at thrift stores and going to Washington Redskins games!

I have been at Pyramid almost a month now. I love it here. I have learned so much and met so many terrific people at Pyramid who are always interested in what I am working on and also sharing with me what they are working on that day. Pyramid is a great place to be!

Be a Pyramid Atlantic Studio Intern!

2011-10-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

Winter is just around the corner, and with it will come a

new group of studio interns here at Pyramid Atlantic!

Our fall interns are having such a wonderful time here,

we thought we would ask them about what a new intern could expect. Katelyn, Amanda, and Aly say:

"You might be a Pyramid Atlantic Studio Intern if..."

- You love prints, paper, ink, books, and the like...

- Learning new printmaking techniques makes you giddy.

- Helping run events such as our annual Upscale Yard Sale is your cup of tea.

- You'd brave the pouring rain to join the team at our Crafty Bastards booth.

- You collect found objects in anticipation of including them in art projects.

- Handmade paper gives you the warm fuzzies.

- Making handmade paper gives you soggy socks and soaking shoes.

- You're a hot foil stamping fool in the book bindery.

- You foresee yourself swapping art-making techniques with other studio-dwellers.

- You find yourself teaching a screenprinting class to a fun group of newbies.

- Documenting and blogging about your life as an intern makes you smile!

The deadline for our Winter Studio Internship is November 11th.

Learn more about the internship and how to apply here!

Katelyn in the paper studio

Aly with a mould and deckel

Amanda pressing a post of handmade paper

After-hours intern hangout at Jackie's Sidebar

Shop Guilt Free This Weekend

2011-10-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

Event: Upscale Yard Sale
Date: Saturday, Oct 15 AND Sunday Oct 16
Time: 9 am - 4 pm
Place: Pyramid Atlantic Parking Lot

Antiques, Furniture, Collectibles, Clothing, Jewelry, Pottery, Silver, and so much more! Click for a sneak peek of items.

Our members & friends have cleaned out their homes for you! You will not believe your eyes when you see all we have in store for you! All of the money raised supports our arts & education programs, so you can shop guilt free!

If you want to come shop and don't have a car, no worries, our friends at Zipcar will give you a ride home with your loot if you live 1 to 2 miles from Pyramid.

FREE GIFTS TO THE FIRST 50 PEOPLE TO SHOP

Image Credit: Source

Pyramid Atlantic Visiting Artist Lecture

2011-10-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

Featuring Screenprinter, Maggie Gourlay!

Using her ongoing screenprinting projects as a case study, Maggie will discuss the challenges, and rewards, of screenprinting on panels, adjusting to new studio environments, and some technical and aesthetic problem-solving strategies.

Join us OCTOBER 22^nd downstairs in the screenprinting area, 6 to 7pm

Visit her site at www.maggiegourlay.com

2012 Letterpress Calendar Sneak Peek!

2011-10-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

The Letterpress Studio has been busy as Pyramid's letterpress printers have been working hard on the 2012 Letterpress Calendar!

Completed May page by Morgan Ward

We should have these calendars available for sale by the end of the month. Check out the Pyramid Letterpress blog for photos. Stay tuned for even more photos + purchase info!

Meet Visiting Artists Inga & Andy Hamilton!

2011-10-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

Artists Inga and Andy Hamilton with some of Inga's beautiful fiber sculptures.

We are so pleased to welcome visiting artists Inga and Andy Hamilton back to the Pyramid Atlantic studio. This is the second time these two inspiring artists have graced us with their presence. Inga and Andy have traveled all the way from Northern Ireland to spread their art-making good vibes and we couldn't be more thrilled.

Among all the cheer they are spreading is a great experiment facilitated by the two called "Elementals". This study unites artists from all over the world whose work will come together with the hopes of accomplishing one mission: to spread joy and happiness through art. The idea is simple, if artists can focus on consciously putting good feelings into their work, would the art itself have the ability to project these feelings of peace, harmony, and goodwill to the viewer? After analyzing some of the 'data' from the experiment thus far, I hypothesize, yes.

In addition to being a fantastic experiment encouraging people to foster and share goodwill, the end result should be quite beautiful! All the work in "Elementals" will take the shape of some breed of avian creature. See more about the experiment and get to know Inga and Andy better by visiting their respective websites. Find Inga at rockpoolcandy.com and Andy at mytarpit.com. And below, check out a small sample of the birds that are already coming in!

Inga's ceramic birds in progress

More of Inga's herd of birds in progress

Sally Fort's sewn fabric bird with happy, puffy clouds

Fionnuala Elliot's bright and cheery owls

Mama and baby birds by Mark Morgan

Joe Lucas' avian family

Woodcut owl in progress by Sabeth Jackson

Visit their 'Elementals' Facebook page to see more of the beautiful art that will be a part of this project.

Thank you, Inga and Andy, for always making sure Pyramid Atlantic is a destination on your U.S. adventures. We've loved having you in the studio and can't wait to see you again - next year? We hope so!

Peace, Love and Rockets

2011-09-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our good friends, Kevin and Karisa, (A.K.A. Will Work for Good) for their letterpress printed album covers, featured in the exhibition Peace, Love, and Rockets, at the Center for Book Arts.
We love you guys. Awesome.
Watch the video of the work they made at Pyramid!

Help Pyramid, Help You!

2011-09-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

We are looking for good stuff for our yard sale on Saturday October 15. You know you have been meaning to clean out that basement

and get rid of that _________________.

Well, let Pyramid help you with that! There is no time like the present.

Think of it this way, you are not only helping yourself, but you are helping Pyramid too! Funds raised from our yard sale will go to support the great work we do with artists, youth and the community.

Our Upscale Yard Sale is on Saturday October 15 from 9 am to 4 pm in the Pyramid Atlantic Parking Lot. All the items you donate are tax deductible. So clean out your basement (or attic) and help Pyramid at the same time!

We’re looking for good stuff – nothing broken or in poor condition. Here is a list of potential items we are looking for:

Antiques,
Books (old and rare only),
China/ceramics/porcelain,
Collectibles,
Clothing (nice, clean items),
Glass (Fenton, Brilliant cut, decorative, Depression, etched),
Historical Memorabilia,
Home Décor,
Household Items,
Jewelry (from good stuff to costume),
Lamps,
Militaria,
Pottery,
Records,
Native American (anything authentic),
Sterling Silver,
Sports Memorabilia,
Tools,
Toys,
Used Furniture

Anything in good working order will be accepted. If you have items you can bring to Pyramid Atlantic during our working hours, please do so, just send an email to me at least 24 hours before. Questions or want to schedule, email Chris Lancette. Thank you for your help in making a difference.

Meet Our Fall Studio Interns!

2011-09-23T07:48:00.000-07:00


Aly, Amanda and Katelyn with Squeegie Sabers

There is a new energy in the air here at Pyramid Atlantic. In addition to the crisp mornings, and the leaves starting turning gold, our fall studio interns have arrived! Let's get to know them!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KATELYN KRONSHAGE

Learned her craft: at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo MI

Favorite materials: natural objects, thread, hair, polymer clay, paper

Ready to learn more about: paper making!!!

Studio snack of choice: cheddar bunnies, and candy of any kind

Favorite studio sounds: laughter in any studio. In the metals studio: the drill press, the sound of the torch firing up. In the print studio: squeegee contact to screen.

visit her site at www.katelynkronshage.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ALY AGA

Learned her craft: at the University of Colorado in Boulder

Favorite materials: textured paper, embroidery floss, Daniel Smith yellow ochre relief ink and Golden fluid acrylics

Ready to learn more about: letterpress and paper making

Studio snack of choice: hot coffee and Fage yogurt with honey

Favorite studio sounds: music with the volume turned waaay up. Something by Harry Nilsson or Laura Viers is always welcome!

visit her site at www.alyaga.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AMANDA KING

Learned her craft: at Skidmore College & MICA

Favorite materials: copper plates, gouache, stolen library cards and Le Pen pens

Ready to learn more about: letterpress

Studio snack of choice: oh gosh, I'm a candy person too

Favorite studio sounds: the etching press being cranked

visit her site at www.amekstudios.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upscale Yard Sale FUNdraiser!

2011-09-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

We’re looking for good stuff!

We are pleased to announce our next FUNdraiser! We’re hosting an Upscale Yard Sale on Saturday October 15 from 9 am
to 4 pm.

We need your help to make it a success and all the donations of items you make are tax deductible.

Here is a list of potential items we are looking for:

Antiques – Furniture, mechanical devices in working condition – no piles of rust
Books – Old and rare only. No modern hardbacks or paperbacks
China/ceramics/porcelain - Higher-end sets preferred
Collectibles – Almost anything in the world of collectibles
Clothing – Nice items for men, women and children. Please deliver clean
Curiosities – Anything odd or unusual
Glass – Fenton, Brilliant cut, decorative, Depression, etched
Historical memorabilia – Autographs, photos, documents, letters
Home Décor – If it look good in someone else’s home, bring it
Household items – basic stuff everyone needs
Hollywood – Autographs, photos, memorabilia
Jewelry – From the very best to costume jewelry
Lamps – Tiffany-style, banquet lamps, floor lamps, desk lamps
Militaria – Civil War stuff is very hot
Pottery – Hardest thing to value so be ready to tell us about it
Records – Old and in excellent condition. Nothing after 1970
Native American – Anything authentic
Silver – Sterling silver souvenir spoons, flatware, and other items
Sports memorabilia – autographs, sports cards (pre-1970 only)
Tools – Power and non-power tools
Vintage toys – From the 80s, 70s, 60s and earlier
Used furniture – Chest of drawers, coffee tables, end tables, repurposed/refinished pieces, dining table sets, book shelves, chairs
Western – Anything western

We’re looking for good stuff – nothing broken or in poor condition.

Questions? Want to donate? Contact Christopher Lancette, our FUNdraising "partner in crime" at Orion’s Attic.

Image Credit: source

Free For Members Workshop: Screenprinted Recipe Swap

2011-08-29T05:36:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, we hosted a screenprinted recipe swap, as part of our monthly Free For Members Workshop series. It was a lot to pack into one evening-writing and/or drawing out the recipes, exposing them on to a screen, and then printing out 15 to trade-but it went really well, and we can't wait to make all our new goodies! Below are a couple of the printed recipes.

Rad Sammies, by Erin Brophy

Peanut Butter Fudge, by Karen O. Brown

Fire Crackers, by me

Many thanks to Elizabeth for co-hosting the workshop and for printing the very cool folders to hold all of our recipes!

Proud to be exceptional!

2011-08-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

The Gazette of Politics and Business just announced that Pyramid Atlantic made this year’s list of the 53 most exceptional businesses and organizations in the State of Maryland!

The P&B Exceptional 53 Award program, produced by The Gazette P&B, acknowledges the top 53 businesses and organizations in Maryland based on criteria that included the recipient’s annual revenue as well as noteworthy service innovations, community service efforts, how they have steered their way through the economic downturn, and how they are a "good places to work."

The 4th annual awards ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of the top 53 companies will be held Wednesday Oct 19th at the Hilton in Bethesda. Click here to purchase tickets and join us

This award is a recognition of all that you help us do! For it is you, our supporters, friends, and the many artists and art lovers, teachers and students, who truly help make Pyramid exceptional.
Thank you!

Go Annie!

2011-08-26T06:18:00.000-07:00

Today's Washington Post features a HUGE image from Annie Albagli's show at Pleasant Plains Workshop, as well as a nice plug for Pyramid Atlantic. In case you missed it, read our interview with Annie on the Screenprint Society blog. Congratulations, Annie!

Summer Print Exchange

2011-08-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

Friday's Pyramid Print Exchange unearthed 3 screenprints. See the trio on the Screenprint Society blog.

APHA's Chesapeake Chapter visit

2011-08-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were lucky to have the Chesapeake Chapter of the American Printing History Association join us for a papermaking workshop.
The American Printing History Association (APHA) is a membership organization that encourages the study of the history of printing and related arts and crafts, including calligraphy, typefounding, typography, papermaking, bookbinding, illustration, and publishing.
It was especially fun to get to meet Jill Cypher, Ray Nichols, and Bill Roberts of Lead Graffiti in who are are real printing movers and shakers out in Newark, DE.
Hope to see some prints on the paper they made!

Goodbye Summer Interns

2011-08-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry to have to say goodbye to our summer interns. We hope the best for them as they finish their artistic studies at Smith, Wash U., St. Mary's, Carnegie Mellon, and at SUNY-Oswego!
Anyone up for a challenge??
Be the frist to answer this question in the comments section: Find the main difference between the photo above, and the photo we took on the intern's first day, and we'll send you a lovely piece of handmade paper.

Visit to BookWorks

2011-08-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

Gretchen and Steve hanging out in front of some awesome Hatch Show Prints.

This past weekend, several Pyramid-ers went down to Asheville, NC for the Ladies of Letterpress Conference.(Gretchen and I presented at the Community Printshop panel). Half the conference events took place at BookWorks, a print and book arts center. I was blown away. Everything was so clean and organized and the space had a great open layout. See photos over at the Pyramid Letterpress blog!

Fall class schedule posted!

2011-08-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

November page of 2011 Letterpress Calendar by Amelia Smith

Photo by Alyson Hurt

Back to school! Pyramid's fall workshop schedule has been posted. See our class listings and register over at the Pyramid Atlantic Workshop page.

Papermaking Society Meeting On August 18 at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center

2011-08-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, August 18, 2011, please join Pyramid Atlantic Art Center for our Papermaking Society Meeting from 6:00-8:00PM at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center which is located at 8230 Georgia Avenue in downtown Silver Spring. Free parking is available! Papermaking Society Meetings are a terrific opportunity for creativity in the exciting art of papermaking and a fabulous opportunity for sharing new ideas with fellow artists! We look forward to seeing you there!

If at first you don't succeed, try try again

2011-07-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

Artist Anne Dykers has been working with us for a while on an artist book. The concept was solid, the papermaking-hand beaten gampi, formed in long horizontal sheets-went off without a hitch, and then she was ready to print her text. Oh boy....
She tried a couple of different methods of printing text, but ran into some problems. You see, because gampi paper contains long texturous fibers, printing can be tricky. It can cause uneven printing if you screenprint on it, or damage type if you letterpress print on it.
So Anne looked to our digital associate, Franc Rosario, who helped her inkjet print the text on her paper. It worked like a charm! Those crafty two even made a template, so the text would print exactly where Anne wanted it.look how clear and crisp the printing turned out!

Cartooning Class

2011-07-26T14:32:00.000-07:00

Clay Harris, current Pyramid Atlantic Art Gym member, will be teaching a class on the fundamentals of comic arts starting October first at Pyramid Atlantic. He will be focusing on the "Six Disciplines of Comic-Book Creation" : writing, penciling, inking, coloring, lettering, and editing. Classes will be every Saturday, starting October 1, from 3-4:30.

To learn more about enrolling visit Clay's Website

Greetings from Paradise

2011-07-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

Event: Opening reception of Annie Albagli's exhibition

Date: July 29th

Time: 6-9pm

Location: Pleasant Plains Workshop, 2608 Georgia Avenue

NW DC 20001

Annie Albagli, Pyramid Atlantic's teaching Artist-in-Residence, is having a solo exhibition at Pleasant Plains Workshop opening this Friday. Anyone who has been to Pyramid in the past few weeks has seen Annie's works in progress-big beautiful multi-layered unique silkscreen prints-in which Albagli has pulled imagery from nature and symbolism.

"With Greetings From Paradise, Albagli explores ideas of personal 'paradise' with a site-specific window installation and an array of large and small-scale screen prints. Viewers will also be invited to contribute to the series by participating in interviews on what 'paradise' is to them." ( Source: Pleasant Plains' blog)

If you miss the opening, Greeting from Paradise will also be displayed through August 27.

All About Annie

2011-07-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

Wonder what's with those trees growing in the studio? Annie Albagli tells all on the Screenprint Society blog.

Keepsake a makin'

2011-07-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

Today our interns started working on the keepsake gift that will go in the next annual appeal letter. I know they are cooking up something great, so look for yours in the mail in November!

Baltimore Babes

2011-07-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

Pyramid printmakers — Moira McCauley, Sarah Hanks (above), Julia Louie, Melanie Karlins, Amelia Smith and Steve Cole — braved the crowds, the heat and the commitment to sell their wares at Artscape. Baltimore's big street festival is, indeed, BIG. Moira reports sales have been brisk, and no wonder. The booth and the work are wonderful, and who wouldn't buy a clever card from these charmers? The festival continues today from noon until 8PM.

Sarah's screenprints in birch branches.

Beautiful weather, beautiful city. Artscape 2011.

Happy Birthday Jose!

2011-07-15T14:44:00.001-07:00

And many more......

Paper artist feaured at Smithsonian Folk life festival

2011-07-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

Colombian artist, Hernando Ruiz, was featured in this years folk life festival. Hernando was inspired by the environmental degradation he witnessed in the wetlands of Bogato, the capital of Colombia. He felt it was his duty as an artist to do something to address these problems. He founded an artistic laboratory, "Reciclarte" to investigate the artistic potential of these collected materials.

Hernando's work includes costumes, puppets handmade paper, and hand-bound books. The summer interns are depicted above visiting Hernando's stand at the folk life festival.

Source:

Suarez, Rafael. "Ante el Agotamiento de los Rescursos Naturales." Cuidadviva. June 2011: pg.4. Print.

Young Hands on Deck

2011-07-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

Joanna Axtmann's teen summer art camp learned to screenprint in our studio. Check out their process and 2-color prints!

Diana Pedraza visits studio

2011-07-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

Diana Pedraza, a Colombian printmaker, visits Pyramid Atlantic while passing through DC. Diana specializes in integrating pieces of her environment into her collagraph prints. While spending the day at Pyramid, Diana used scraps from around the studio to create a collagraph print.

Intern Art Show!

2011-06-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

Event: Reception for Intern Exhibition

Date: July 22

Time: 6-8 pm

Location: Kefa Cafe, 963 Bonifant St.

Silver Spring, MD

Summer interns, Julie Cronan, Stephanie Gamboa, Laura Sheys, Jamie Spencer-Zavos and Caroline Record are putting up an exhibition of their recent works showcasing the skills that they have acquired thus far during their time at Pyramid Atlantic.

The show will open on July 11th and last till August 6th. There will also be a reception to celebrate this exhibition on July 22nd.

Steve Prince Visits Studio

2011-06-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

Steve Prince, a local artist, visited Pyramid Atlantic studio last week to make prints of his giant masterfully created lino cuts. Above is an image of two summer interns, Caroline and Jamie, ogling over Steve's latest work, a six foot long portrait of President Obama.

Arc of Mystery at Artisphere

2011-06-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

Leila Holtsman's new installation was unveiled at her solo show opening at Artisphere on June 23rd. The Frieze Project is made up of 12 eight foot long steel panels which progress in time and palette. Mounted in the extra long and gently curved "Mezz" Gallery, it is easy to view the piece up close (above) or as a continuum, by peering up or down the corridor. It works beautifully both ways. Inspired by Rauschenberg, Leila layered her eclectic collection of imagery using photo image transfer, which creates ghostly effect. She then brayers or brushes freefloating bursts of saturated color.

Leila sought technical assistance from Pyramid Atlantic, first with Screenprint Associate Marty Ittner, who demonstrated Photoshop techniques to create high contrast imagery. After experimenting with screenprinting, Leila turned to Artistic Director Gretchen Schermerhorn to alternatively try photo image transfer. Leila felt the less saturated tone conveyed the immediate look she was after. She executed the image transfers on her panels at the Pyramid studios. Congratulations on a beautiful and meaningful work of art, Leila!

Artist Leila Holtsman

Allan's Amazing 41 Color Print

2011-06-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

Allan Akman's new screenprint!

2011-06-08T20:11:00.001-07:00

Event: Opening reception of Wavelengths exhibitions, included work by Gretchen Schermerhorn

Date: Friday, June 10

Time: 7 to 9pm

Location: 1241 Good Hope Road, SE

Washington, DC 20020

Gretchen Schermerhorn, Pyramid Atlantic's Artistic Director and

printmaker-artist extraordinaire, is one of four artists featured in Wavelengths, an exhibition curated by the microWave project and hosted by Honfleur Gallery. Gretchen's installation consists of numerous prints on handmade paper hung at different heights and depths. Each of the prints was inspired by the sonic form of peoples' answer to a simple question, "What makes you feel alive?." Gretchen recorded peoples' answers and used the sonic map of the those answers as the basis for each of her prints. A sound component comprised of the recordings collected through out this process will also be included.

If you miss the opening Wavelengths will be up in Honfeur Gallery through July 22.

Above is an image of Gretchen and two interns, Elena and Caroline, installing her piece at the Honfleur Gallery.

Summer Intern Project

2011-06-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

Summer interns finish an ambitious silk screened sign for Pyramid Atlantic's store, Art Spring, in downtown Silver Spring. If you visit, look for it next to Potbelly (which is right below Art Spring).

We also have two new summer interns! May from Dickenson college is an administrative intern (she is at the far right). And Jamie from St. Mary's , who just recently came back from traveling in Thailand, will be joining the other five studio interns (He is holding the sign and is the only guy). Gretchen said this is Pyramid's largest group of interns yet. All the interns agree that coming to Pyramid for the summer was a good choice. In the two weeks we have been here we have already received instruction on and the opportunity to experiment with silk screen printing, copper etching, letter press printing and basic paper making.

Unfortunately Elena, a much beloved studio intern, will be leaving this friday after a six week internship at Pyramid. Elena looks fondly back at her experience at Pyramid saying that, "This has been one of the best times in my life." We all wish her well as she returns back to her home country, Germany, and finishes up High School.

Thank you for inspiring me

2011-06-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well, folks. We did it. We reached our goal of raising $3,000 to fund Pyramid Atlantic's arts & education programs and we did it in 13 weeks! Congratulations!

What am I taking away from my campaign?

Well, when I started this campaign, I had never raised money by asking people to contribute directly to something that I believed in. I had written grants and put on fundraisers, but never made a direct ask. Asking is different. Its scary. I was scared as many of us are to ask for help and ask for support. I raised to believe that money was a necessary evil and that asking for money was embarrassing, it was begging. No one likes beggars, so no one would like me. But I did not want to go out like that. I did not want my fears to have the last word or determine what I was or was not capable of. I did not know if I was going to raise any money via my campaign, but I knew that if I never tried, I'd never raise any.

So, we raised $3,000 and I learned that the truth is a powerful thing. I have been telling you the truth for 13 weeks. Telling you why being at Pyramid Atlantic these past 3 and half years has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Corny as it sounds, telling you the truth set me free. Free to realize my potential and for that I want to thank Pyramid Atlantic.

Thank you all for listening. Thank you all for contributing. Thank you all for inspiring me.

A Street Box Named Desire

2011-06-02T09:03:00.001-07:00

To celebrate their 30th anniversary, Washington City Paper (WCP) collaborated with Pyramid Atlantic to challenge local artists to redesign their old, drab news boxes. Ten artists are participating and the finished boxes are now arriving at Pyramid. Above are four of the new arrivals; from the left, are Annie Albagli, Rebecca Katz, Elizabeth Graeber, and Cara Hunt . Gretchen Schermerhorn, Maggie Michael, Marty Ittner and Ellen Smyth, Franc Rosario, Adam Griffiths, and Sabeth Jackson are also participating. The various news boxes will be displayed throughout WCP's distribution area and readers will vote on their favorites. The three most popular boxes will be permanently installed outside the entrance to Crafty Bastards.

To see all the boxes and meet the artists join Pyramid Atlantic and Washington City Paper on June 18th at the Fenton Street Market from 12 to 2. The boxes will also be placed around the city by mid-July.

Pancakes & Printmaking

2011-05-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

Event: Pancake Breakfast & Printmaking
Date: Saturday, June 11
Time: 8:30 am - Noon
Place: 8230 Georgia Avenue

Come one, Come all to the Pyramid pancake breakfast hosted by Chef Daniel Beavin at Pyramid Atlantic.

For just $5 you can enjoy a plethora of pancakes, fruit, juice

and coffee and enjoy vegetable and fruit printmaking activities for the whole family.

Proceeds from our pancake breakfast will benefit Pyramid Atlantic’s arts & education programs.

RSVP (so I know how much syrup to buy!) to: Jose

Image Credit: source

Week 13 or Why Not Being The Smartest Guy In The Room Worked Out

2011-05-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

It's Week 13 and I am $190 away. That’s right, you read correctly. My goal was $3,000 to help support Pyramid’s arts & education programs that inspire, educate and build community and now I am knocking on the door. 190. That is like 10 people contributing $20 and my brother contributing $10. I am almost there. Let’s do it! Make a contribution today, in any amount to my Pyramid Atlantic fundraising campaign by clicking here.

AND NOW: Week 13 Inspiration or Why Not Being The Smartest Guy Worked Out

When I was in high school, my good friend Michael Wilson, shared with me a quote he had heard on Oprah. She said, “The key to being successful is always surrounding yourself with people smarter than you.” I remember nodding my head and saying, “Yeah, that’s right.” It sounded like a good idea at the time and I was in high school, so saying that I didn’t know what he meant by that would just be “uncool.” But I really had no idea what I was agreeing with. I mean, surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you is great in theory, but in practice can be very intimidating. I mean, if everyone around me is smarter, then what do they need me for, right?

At Pyramid Atlantic, Oprah’s words of wisdom have helped make me a better leader and taken the organization to new heights. I am surrounded by smarter people every day. Most of these smart people are on our staff at Pyramid. Only one of these is full time staff member however, Artistic Director Gretchen Schermerhorn. Everyone else is part time. They hold full time jobs elsewhere, run their own businesses are stay at home moms, waiters, teachers, scientists, researchers, but they manage to weave Pyramid Atlantic into the fabric of their lives. They coordinate our classes, membership, manage each of our studios (papermaking, printmaking, letterpress, bookmaking and digital media), do our finances, recruit our volunteers and run our store. They do it with a professionalism that is a deep reflection of their love of life. The embody the words of another great person, Winston Churchill who said, “You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.”

So, what about me, what do I do? It‘s simple. When you have the smartest people in the world around you, you help them be great.

Here is a BIG THANK YOU to my staff at Pyramid and a link to our blog with a slide show of some of all of the greatness they make possible:

Gretchen Schermerhorn, Artistic Director

Catherine Aselford, Development Manager

Sarah Bright Yaneza, Finance Manager

Natalie Holmes, Finance Associate
(on the far right)

Richard Kamenitizer, Financial Consultant

Laura Kinneberg, Papermaking Associate

Elizabeth Parthum, Papermaking Associate

Linda Rollins, Bookbinder in Residence

Patty Lee, Associate Bookbinder (above)

Melanie Karlins, Letterpress Associate

Leslie Smith, Letterpress Associate

Julia Louie, Letterpress Associate

Grant Dickie, Weekend Rental Associate, Rebecca Katz, Screenprint Associate, Marty Ittner, Screenprint Associate

Micah Beard, Associate Printmaker (at left)

Jake Muirhead, Associate Printmaker

Sabeth Jackson, Blockprinting Associate

Chris Derderian, Director of ArtSpring

(in the middle)

Franc Rosario, Digital Associate (at right)

Jody McLean, Volunteer Coordinator (below, at left)

CaraHunt, Education Coordinator (at right)

Crystal Polis, Membership Coordinator (at right)

Sha Grogan-Brown, Fundraising consultant
(at left)

Ariana Estrada, Webmistress (below)

I hope you found this inspiring and share it with the many great people in your life who help you look like the smartest person in the room.

AND Make a contribution today, in any amount to my Pyramid Atlantic fundraising campaign by clicking here. If you were thinking about contributing, but wanted to wait to see how far I would get, look at me now! $190 away. I am almost there and a contribution of any amount from you, will get me that much closer. Have a great week.

New Summer Interns!

2011-05-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

The new summer interns started today. From the left there is Caroline (me), Julie, Laura, Stephanie and Elena. We have another intern coming, but he's currently in Thailand.

Today we met Gretchen and she gave us a tour of the facilities and gave us an introduction to screen printing.

I am $400 away. Be Inspired By Me.

2011-05-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

I am $400 dollars away. Yes! My goal was $3,000 to help support Pyramid’s arts & education programs that inspire, educate and build community.

I am almost there. Help me raise the $400 I need to reach my goal. Its week 12, 4 weeks to go!!!!

But first, your moment of inspiration. So what inspires me this week: Love.

My wife and I moved into Silver Spring, into our Long Branch neighborhood in 2000. It was just before the housing market blew up and you could still afford to buy a house.

There was talk of gang activity in the neighborhood and the elementary school on the corner seemed so overcrowded with portable classrooms out on the ball field. We were nervous about the neighborhood, but we had a 6 month old
son and had grown out of our one bedroom apartment at Falkland Chase.

Our neighbors were terrible. Our first year on this street the family next door would play music till 2 pm or 3 pm in the morning. There were times when we would find people asleep in the cars next door. There was one morning when a car showed up at 5 am and honked the horn for 15 minutes until I came out and it finally pulled away. There was litter on their front yard, guys drinking beer out front all afternoon. I called the cops at least twice to break up parties that went way too long into the night. I always considered myself to be an open minded, tolerant person, but I wasn’t. I liked the “idea” of diversity, but it found it very difficult to practice. I didn’t like my neighbors. I wanted them to move or to be more precise, I wanted them to be more like me and my wife.

So, one day, when Joshua was 3, we were outside kicking the soccer ball around. Their was a young boy he looked about 6, standing in the front yard of our neighbor’s house He and Joshua spotted each other. The young boy’s soccer ball rolled over into our yard .Joshua kicked it back. He rolled it over again and my son kicked it back again. This went on for about 5 minutes and then it was time to go inside. I asked the boy his name. “Mago,” he said. The next day my son saw Mago outside playing with his cousins and asked to join them. I said sure and went outside with him and we all played together. I watched as Mago’s aunt and uncles carefully watched over my son as they played and made sure everyone stayed out of the street. I watched as they participated in the game and cheered their kids on. I chatted with the uncles about soccer in Spanish. They asked me where I was from. “Cuba”, I said and we talked about great Cuban baseball players. After a while, it was time to go in, but this day began what would become a tradition of playing soccer in our front yard with our neighbors.

I am grateful to my son. He was the bridge. Because of my son, my wife and I got to know our neighbors. We learned that despite our differences on the outside, there were not many differences on the inside. They loved their kids and we loved ours and that was enough. My son helped me put all of my prejudices aside and be a better father, a better neighbor, a better person. I learned that when you love your child, you just want them to be happy and when you do, you forget about the things that bother you and before you know it, those things that bothered you, don’t anymore. They get replaced with things you learn about yourself and your neighbors.

I hope I inspired you today.

Make a contribution, in any amount to my Pyramid Atlantic fundraising campaign by clicking here. If you were thinking about contributing, but wanted to wait to see how far I would get, look at me now! I am almost there and a contribution of any amount from you, will get me that much closer. Have a great week.

Have you heard that you should learn something new every day?

2011-05-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

That is what Lincoln Mudd did over the past few months. Art teacher in Sculpture at Montgomery Community College, and artist himself, he decided to try his hand at making paper sculptures. Lincoln has been working as a Resident Keyholder at Pyramid Atlantic working in the paper making studio. When he first started his journey into paper making, I have to say he didn't really know anything about it. He spent part of a day walking through the studio with Gretchen and she demonstrated the basic skills in a crash course to get him started. The first time I met him he was trying to make a very long sheet of paper, which being a beginner myself, I was frightened myself of trying to pull anything that long for fear of the whole thing turning into a pile of mush as I tried to get it off the deckle. There he was, making sheet after sheet. This process was totally experimental to him, including mixing dyes and forming sheets to drape over these large pear shaped molds. The results are really large and beautiful. Lincoln will be giving a talk on his process at Pyramid Atlantic on Thursday night, May 12 from 6:30-7:30 pm. You don't want to miss this!!

These are our Super Heros

2011-05-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed a new group of strapping young folk hanging around the print shop, making work, and cleaning the different studios. These youth are interns at Pyramid Atlantic through the Inspire program and they come to us from MMYC.

They have been working hard! Many of them have never made a book, made paper, or screen printed before. They are learning so many new things and flying...

So to aid them in their quest Melissa Salazar and Anne Albagli, the instructors for this program, decided that Thursday, was the perfect day to play some Super Hero Bball.. and see what our interns could teach us on the court. Check out some photos from super hero bball!

Also! Get ready... their final exhibition is coming up on May 26th!

Thanks to you!

2011-05-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Pyramid Atlantic would like to give a great big thanks to all of its new and renewing members!
We are at 240 new members since the last time we did a thanks to our members post-wow-so we'll be sending out several thank yous over the next couple of months.

Catherine Abbott
Ronald D. Abramson
James S. Adams
Edward Alton
Kathleen Anderson
Miranda Lea Anderson
Iskedar Ayalew
Karol Vanessa Bados
Lorena Baines
Tom Bannister
Daniel C. Barbiero
James Calvin & Anne Barton
Anne Becker
Peter & Shelly Berman
Jorge Luis Bernal
Leda Black
Nadine Bloch
Carol & Stephen Bluestone
Kathy Boyland
Graham Patrick Boyle
Ruth Burke
Adjoa Burrowes
Melinda Byrd
Julie Byrne

More Thank yous to come!
To get in on all of the exciting events Pyramid offers, and at the same time support the organization, please visit the membership page on our website.

Master Youngdam's visit

2011-05-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Last week we enjoyed a very special treat here at Pyramid Atlantic. Master Youngdam, an award-winning Korean nun and papermakaer, lead a workshop on traditional ways of making Korean hanji paper.Pictured above: our intern (coincidentally from Seoul) B00Gyung, did a fine job of translating

She taught the traditional way of sheet formation, whabaldugee, which is a different technique than other other Asian methods of sheet forming. During the paper dipping process, she held the screen and the mould together. The far side of the mould was attached to a string hung that hung from above. First, she scooped the vat stock from her side and let it flow towards the far side. This first scoop formed the ground of the sheet. Then she took the second scoop laterally from either side and it flowed away to the opposite side of the mould. She repeated these steps until the desired thickness was achieved, which was about 7 or 8 times.
To see more of her class and technique, watch this video
Side note: Notice her scarf. She was cold, so she tied a piece of paper around her neck!

But first, its time for inspiration!

2011-05-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

It’s Week 10 folks. I received $100 dollars this week, so I am at $2,100 with 6 weeks to go. Its crunch time for me. I have $900 more dollars to raise to help support Pyramid Atlantic's fabulous arts & education programs. You can help me get there by contributing here.

But first, its time for inspiration! What inspires me in Week 10? Being a man inspires me. Now that might not seem like such a hard thing, but I have not always found being a man the easiest thing. When I was a kid growing up in my family, being a man meant only one thing: being macho. Sensitivity was a weakness. Crying was a weakness. I was a sensitive kid. I cried. I could tell my Dad was not proud. I grew up hating the very things about myself that now are my biggest strengths: my sensitivity and my compassion. It was my Dad's opinion of manhood that mattered most to me and I was not it. My folks divorced when I was 13 and I didn't see my Dad for again.

I went away to college and my views and my world expanded. I met a whole new group of men who were very different different from the men that I had grown up around in the Theatre Department at Southern Methodist University. Many of my professors were thoughtful, insightful and compassionate men. They were men who never stopped trying to perfect their ability to articulate their thoughts and feelings through their art, their words and their deeds. I so wanted to be that kind of a man. However, in my mind, my Dad's opinion of me still colored my progress and development. I still did not feel like a man or that he would think much of my maturation or my chosen profession.

I went looking for my Dad after my freshman semester. I am not sure why, but I wanted to see him, much to my mother's dismay. She gave me his address and I drove over to his apartment one evening. I was so nervous. I walked to the door. I knocked on the door. He opened it. "Hey, look who's here," my Dad said. He hugged me. "Sit down," he said. We just started talking. It was as if we had both been just very busy for 5 years and had just been unable to return each others calls. We didn't talk that night about where he had been or where I had been. We did not talk about why he never came to see my brother and I and why we had never come to see him. He called my step brothers over and we went out to play pool.

After that night, my Dad and I began to see each other again, much to my mom's objections. We would meet for dinner when I was in town from college and occasionally talk on the phone. I was so hungry for his company. I missed having this man in my life. He came to my graduation, much at SMU and he was at my wedding.

My Dad passed away of a heart attack at the age of 64, I was 32. It was very unexpected. The big hole between him and I that had been getting smaller over the years, with his death, seemed to begin to grow wider again. I was a young father with so responsibilities. There were so many things that I didn't know. So many questions I wanted to ask him about being a father. So many things I wondered about being a man. I mourned the conversations that my Dad and I never had and the ones that we would never have. I mourned a man who I was just getting to know.

Six months after my Dad passed away, I joined a men's group in DC and did that for about 3 and half years. For three and a half years, I sat in a room with men who had experienced loss or trauma and who were not sure of their responsibilities or identities as men. I was there because I wanted my own identity as a man. I wanted to come out of the shadows of the man I thought I had to be and into the light of the man I was capable of being. In the group, I learned that. I shared my questions about being a man, being a father and being a husband with the other men in that room. I learned that my feelings were a strength. That my compassion was an asset and not a weakness. That I had greater capacity that I had given myself credit for. I slowly came to my own definition of the man I was and wanted to be. I also slowly began to forgive and accept my Dad.

I see so many men today struggle with being a men. Expectations and responsibilities can seem so overwhelming. We have the capacity to feel fully and it is that helps us during trying times. But to many men, it is easier to ignore the emotional part of who you are. There is no time to feel, its just "do" and "back to work" and asking for help is a weakness not a sign of strength. That's what my Dad believed. I wish that my dad would have found the strength to be the kind of man that he wanted to be. I used to see my Dad stay up late at night painting and drawing. One time when he was visiting me in DC he let out with this quote from Macbeth, in his really thick Cuban accent, "Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?" I couldn't believe it. Here was my Dad this macho guy quoting Shakespeare. I wish my Dad would have felt more comfortable letting his artistic spirit out. I think that maybe if he's grown up with a friend like me around maybe, he would have.

As fate has it, I am a father now of two boys. I was thinking about my sons and my Dad this week at my son's baseball game. I watched as all the Dads stood around the back stop, volunteered to coach 3rd base and talked about what great hitters and fielders our boys were. I was so happy to have this opportunity to see my sons and be a part of their lives in ways that my Dad was never a part of mine. I hug and kiss them all the time and tell them I love them. I want them to know that their emotions are pillars on which to stand on and not vestigial organs that should be ignored and wished away. I see my older boy, Josh, (that is him below) who is 10, struggle with the expectations that come with being a young boy. He doesn't feel its okay to cry or ask for help and that its important to be "tough." I tell him it takes a real man to cry. He thinks I'm stupid. That's alright. I am not going anywhere and I am going to stay here help them both find their way to their own definition of manhood.

I hope I inspired you today.

Make a contribution, in any amount to my Pyramid Atlantic fundraising campaign by clicking here. If you were thinking about contributing, but wanted to wait to see how far I would get, look at me now! I am almost there and a contribution of any amount from you, will get me that much closer. Have a great week.

Mary Ott to Know

2011-04-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

Familiar face Mary Ott is exhibiting her prints at the Touchstone Gallery. Read about her process on the Screenprint Society Blog.

Week 9 - Watch Me Climb!

2011-04-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

It’s Week 9 and I am still climbing. The picture at left is actually my 6 year old son at Earth Treks but you can click here and watch me climb

I recently received another pledge for $250. This puts my campaign at $1,850. I am pledging $150 to round my total to $2,000 with 6 weeks to go. I am getting closer!

What inspires me? Failure. I hate to fail. I am okay with losing. Losing and failure are two different things to me. When regardless of what you do to make the situation better, the outcome does not turn out in your favor, you lose. When you don’t do all that is within your power to make the situation better, you fail.

I learned about failure from Lou Salerni, a teacher I had when I was in college at SMU. One day, I was working with Lou on a monologue for an audition. It was Romeo, from Romeo & Juliet and I was trying so hard. I was doing this terrible, terrible British accent because that is what I thought Shakespeare was supposed to sound like. When I was done, Lou said, “Why don’t you try it a different way. Let’s give the character a Cuban accent. Try the monologue again.” I thought Lou was crazy and felt a little uncomfortable. Up until then all I had been doing in my Voice and Diction classes in college was trying to get rid of my accent and here was Lou asking me to bring it back. “Okay,” I said, “I will try it.“ What did I have to lose, I was already doing a lousy job. So I tried it and it was great. I instinctively found the natural places to pause, the right words to emphasize. I really understood the monologue the first time. When I finished I said, “Lou, that was great, but I can’t do it like that for my audition.” “Why?” he asked me. “That’s not how its supposed to sound,” I said. “So what” he said. “I understood you and it was more interesting than the first time, when you were trying to sound like somebody else.” “Listen,” he said, “if your going to fail, fail on your own terms, not because you made a choice that somebody else was expecting you to make and didn’t work out. When you fail this way, you know why. You know that it is something that you chose to do. You took responsibility. And, Jose, if your going to fail, fail big. Make a BIG choice, so if you fail, it is obvious why. When you make a small choice, a safe choice, you can never really be sure why. You can always wonder, well what if I would’ve done a little more. No make a big choice and let there be no doubt as to why it worked or didn‘t.”

I thought about Lou again after I took the job of Executive Director at Pyramid in 2007. My first 6 months at Pyramid were my toughest. Here was this 27 year old organization that had only had one director since Day 1. I felt pulled in so many different directions. The Board knew what was best for the organization and what they wanted me to do. The Founder knew what was best for the organization and what she wanted me to do. Staff knew what was best for the organization and what they wanted me to do. Many people who had been around Pyramid much longer than I had knew what was best for the organization and what they wanted me to do. I wanted to do such a great job and I was trying so hard.

So one day, it hit me. I knew what needed to be done. I was just afraid to do it. I was making decisions based on what I thought I was supposed to be doing. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone. The Board, the Founder, Staff, but I was failing. I needed to make some important decisions. Yes, they were going to disappoint some people and make others upset, but if I didn‘t make them, then Pyramid was going to lose or win based on what somebody else thought. That day, I decided to stop failing.

Pyramid is in a much better place today (and so am I) because I remembered what Lou had said. I figured out the difference between losing and failure. There are times I forget. I blame others for what is not working, run from difficult decisions. I fail, but like I said, I hate failing, so I stop, move beyond my comfort zone, go beyond what I think I am capable of and risk failing on my own terms.

I hope I inspired you today.

Make a contribution, in any amount to my Pyramid Atlantic fundraising campaign by clicking here. Have a great week.

SO, its crunch time! 7 more weeks to go and $1,000 to raise. If you were thinking about contributing, but wanted to wait to see how far I would get, now is the time. I am almost there. A contribution of any amount will get me that much closer.

Image Source

2011-04-25T05:32:00.000-07:00

Johnny Carrera of Quercus Press shows off his first screenprinted tee shirt. Find out more about his image and amazing book containing thousands more on the Screenprint Society Blog.

Week 8: We Solve Problems Everyday at Pyramid

2011-04-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, its week 8 and I hope you are doing well. What inspires me this week?

Problems Not creating problems, but solving them. We solve problems everyday at Pyramid Atlantic. “How do you get all the colors to register perfectly? How long do you beat the pulp for paper so thin you can see through it? How do you make the pages in the artist book look like the branches on a tree?” You would not believe how much problem solving goes into printmaking, papermaking and book arts.

Where did I learn how to solve problems? At home. I remember my earliest memory. I must have been like 4 years old and I remember waking up one day and finding nobody home, except for my brother. I can remember this clear as day. I remember the green carpet in the living room. The big RCA television. The sun coming through the window. I remember walking through the house looking in every room. Nno one was home, but me and my brother. I remember thinking “I need to get out of here. I need to find an adult.” So I took my brother by the hand and we walked, in diapers, three blocks to my grandmothers house where my grandmother promptly called my mom to find out where she and my dad were. That's me, my brother Rob and my sister Liz in the picture.

Where did I learn how to solve problems? At work. When I worked at the DC Arts Commission, my title was Manager for Special Projects and New Initiatives, but it should have Manager for Special Problems and New Solutions. My boss Tony Gittens would call me into his office and he would say, ‘I want to do a city-wide music festival” or “I want an Arts Festival on U Street” or “I want to create a grant program for emerging artists,” and it was my job to go make it happen. My job was to get on the phone and contact artists, look at performance spaces, write the contracts, get the permits, call reporters and pitch the press releases. It was awesome! I loved being able to book a band in 24 hours or a poet for a reading in 48 hours or a presenter for an awards show. I loved learning how to cut through the red tape of city government and make it possible for artists to create, for communities to come alive with arts performance and for people to come out and enjoy it.

I felt like Superman saving the day for the good citizens of Metropolis.

Being a problem solver has served me well at Pyramid. I have been able to work with a community of artists & volunteers, business leaders and elected officials, to re-energize a 30 year old organization. We have made our greatest liability, our building, our greatest asset. We discovered a model for our workshops that impacts the bottom line and the lives of the students who are filling them and coming back for more. We have invited groups like Washington Printmakers Gallery, DC Sonic Circuits, Copiosity, Project Youth Outreach and Playback Theatre, artists like Kari Minnick, Marcie Wolf Hubbard, Shanthi Shanthi Chandra-Sekar, Jessica Buckley, Franc Rosario, Carol Parker to call Pyramid Atlantic home & in doing so, we have found a much larger place for ourselves within the area’s vibrant arts community.

Being a problem solver has served me well in my personal life. Its helped my wife and me to figure out how to both work to support our family and find time for one another in the busy chaotic lives of young parents to keep our marriage if 15 years alive.

I fail too. Believe me, I have failed many, many times and when I fail, I fail big. But, I believe in solutions and I believe that when I fail, I am just that much closer to finding a solution.

I hope I inspired you this week.

I am at $1,600 at week 8, with 8 weeks to go. I need to raise $1,400 more to support Pyramid Atlantic's awesome arts programs. I am committed to raising $3,000 for Pyramid and sending you, my friends, a message of inspiration every week for 16 weeks so that you may be inspired too & help me reach my goal.

Make a contribution, in any amount to my Pyramid Atlantic fundraising campaign by clicking here. Have a great week.

Letterpress Birthday Card Fundraiser Sets for sale!

2011-04-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

The Letterpress Birthday Card Fundraiser sets are now available for purchase online!

For photos of the sets and all the individual cards + instructions on how to purchase, go to our special Birthday Card Fundraiser page!

Letterpress fever!

2011-04-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

The Letterpress Studio has been booked solid for about a month now. An army of Birthday Card fundraiser printers, brides-to-be, crafters prepping for fairs and newbies just getting their feet wet have kept our presses extremely busy!

See pics from all of the above over at the Pyramid Letterpress blog!

Costume Collaboration!

2011-04-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

Teaching Artist in Resident, Anne Albagli, has spent the last few weeks developing and creating costumes with Mr. Mayo's class at Silver Spring International Middle School. These rock stars are writing and filming their own movies and needed authentic costumes for the shoot! The Alien Walrus head, the Green Machine head, and Leaf head are all made with cast paper mache, onto which the students built up unique forms for their specific creature. Most of the materials for the rest of the costumes were made with simple materials - such as paper, spray paint, burlap, leaves etc. The time machine, though, used cardboard as a base with all kinds of creative gadgets and aluminum attached. Check out the fun photos we took at Silver Spring International Middle School! To learn more about Mr. Mayo and the amazing work he does with his students visit www.mrmayo.org. To learn more about Annie Albagli and her work visit www.anniealbagli.com . Enjoy!

Time For Inspiration

2011-04-14T21:20:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, its week 7 and do you know where your inspiration is? It’s right here. I am at $1,600 at week 7, with 9 weeks to go. I need to raise $1,400 more to support Pyramid Atlantic's awesome arts programs.

So, what inspires me? Time. I believe that with time, anything is possible.

At Pyramid, I see artists use time carefully, like surgeons, carefully, cutting into each minute. Slowly. Deliberately. Rush and you’ll hurt the process. The work is never finished, but each day, you get that much closer. I see young people use time to learn a new skill. To practice it over and over and over until finally, full of pride, they invite you over to see what they can do.

I did not always understand time. When I was a kid, there was never enough time or too much. Trips ended too quickly. The school day went on too long. I tried to cram something into every minute, and still there was more that I wanted to do. When I got to college, I caught up. I was on scholarship and could take up to 18 credits per semester, so I packed my schedule. I took everyone there was to take. I didn’t care if it was part of my major or not.

When I graduated from college I didn’t waste anytime. I graduated form SMU in Texas on a Sunday and was in New York City the next morning. It was time for me to get on with my life, get into a show, get an agent, get on television, get into graduate school, get out of graduate school, get another agent, get into another show. I think about that time today and it’s almost like it never happened or like it happened to somebody else. When my first son was born, it felt like I went from 0 to 60 in a couple of seconds. It was time to be a dad, time to have a steady job, time to buy a house, time to mow the lawn, time to get life insurance, time to get a better paying job, time to plan for retirement, time to workout, time to have a playdate, time to coach his soccer time, time to get to sleep, time to get up.

Today, I think I get it and Pyramid has helped me get it. When I first got here, I honestly felt that I needed 34 hours in a day to get it all accomplished. There was so many meetings to attend, so much I wanted to show my staff, so many events to go to, so much I wanted to tell my Board, so many project I wanted to do and so much I had to learn about running an organization. My first two years were insane. About a year ago, I finally got it. What did it.

You know, I was really at my wits end. I felt like I was doing everything I could and still there was more to be done. Pyramid was not “there” yet and this made me depressed and I fell into a pretty deep, dark depression and I was not sure how I was going to going to get out of it. I remember being at a baseball game with family on my son’s birthday and feeling like I was drifting away. It hit me that day. Time was mine to lose. Time was mine to waste. Time was mine to cherish. Time was mine to value.

I went to see a doctor the following week. I found time to stop. I found time to reflect. I found time for gratitude and hope. I found time.

I love time. Time makes all things possible. I have plenty of time these days and in good time, I am learning all that I need to learn and doing all that I need to be doing.

Like I said at the beginning I am committed to raising $3,000 for Pyramid and sending you, my friends, a message of inspiration every week for 16 weeks so that you may be inspired to help me reach my goal.

I hope I inspired you this week and you will make a contribution, in any amount to my Pyramid Atlantic fundraising campaign by clicking here. Everything helps.

Jose

PS: This is me finding time to hang out with my brother in law. Time well spent

Insipration Heading Your Way

2011-04-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, its Week 6. I received two donations in the mail this week, which put me at $1,500 after 6 weeks. Thank you for your support in helping me raise money for Pyramid Atlantic’s programs that serve artists, youth and community.

Like I said at the beginning I am committed to raising $3,000 for Pyramic and sending you, my friends, a message of inspiration every week for 16 weeks so that you may be inspired to help me reach my goal.

So week 6: What inspires me? Luck. I am talking about those things in my life that have just happened to me. I have had no control over making them happen. I was just lucky they did.

Like where I was born. I was born in Miami in 1970. In the late 70’s and 80’s it was a place unlike many other cities in the United States because of its large Cuban community. There were Cuban police officers, businessmen & business women, bus drivers, teachers, doctors, lawyers. You name it. In Miami, when you spoke Spanish in public, no one corrected and told you to speak English. Hundreds of restaurants served Latin food, Spanish music played on the radio and you would go to parties and dance Salsa and Merengue. Everyone hugged and kissed each other to say hello. Men AND Women. I hugged and kissed my dad even when I was 32 and he was 64. Miami was a great place to grow up.

This is me at age 5 graduating from kindergarten

Or like where I went to college. In 1988 (a terrible time for fashion) I was graduating from high school. Southern Methodist University came to my high school to hold auditions for their Theatre program. I did not want to go to SMU because it was in Texas and I did not know much about the South, but what I knew, I didn’t like. I wanted to go to college in Chicago at DePaul University (but could not afford it). My drama teacher recommended I audition for SMU, just to practice. I did and was accepted to SMU in as an alternate. Being an alternate meant that the only way I was going to go, was if somebody who got in, turned them down. Well, that was never going to happen right? Well, Melissa Brown was accepted into Julliard in NYC so I was accepted into SMU and received a full scholarship for 4 years. At SMU, I met a Dance student named Lisa Shriver who 4 years later would introduce me to her friend in DC, Lisa Waldman, who I would marry.

This is my friend Lisa Shriver who introduced me to my wife, Lisa.

Or how I got my job at Pyramid. About 3 and a half years ago, I mentioned to one of my mentors, Alec Simpson, that I was looking for a job. He said, “you know, there is this place, Pyramid Atlantic, that is looking for an Executive Director.” He suggested I submit my resume. What’s Pyramid Atlantic, I asked him? What do they do there? I said sure, why not. I didn’t know Pyramid Atlantic, but figured, I had nothing to lose.

This is my mentor Alec Simpson who suggested I apply for the job of Executive Director at a place called Pyramid Atlantic.

I am very lucky. I happened to be born at a time and in a place where I learned at an early age that I had the potential for great things. I happened to go to a high school where there was a teacher in who encouraged me to audition for a school that I didn’t know anything about and what I did, I didn’t like. I happened to call my mentor when I was feeling stuck and he urged to apply for a job at a place that I had never heard of until that very day.

Everybody doesn’t get this lucky. But I did. I am grateful everyday for my good fortune and the opportunities and challenges that I have been presented with. There are smarter people, people who are more talented than me, and people who work harder than I do and many never got the breaks that I did. I know that. I am the lucky one. I had nothing to do with a lot of it, but here I am the beneficiary and I will not let this good fortune, go to waste.

I hope I inspired you this week and you will make a contribution, in any amount to my Pyramid Atlantic fundraising campaign by clicking here. Everything helps.

Thanks for listening and please share with a friend who you might want to inspire today.

Jose

Introducing Screenprint Society Blog!

2011-04-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

Along with shiny new tabletops installed last Saturday,

Screenprint Society now has a shiny new blog:

pyramidscreenprint.blogspot.com. Feedback welcome!

Mentors Inspire Me

2011-03-31T20:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your support with my campaign. To date I have raised $1200.00 towards my $3,000 goal to support Pyramid Atlantic programs that serve artists, youth and bring the community together through the arts.

Every week for 16 weeks I will send out an email to inspire you (and me) to reach my goal!

So, week 5: what inspires me: mentors

We mentor many people at Pyramid Atlantic. Artists mentor other artists, & staff mentor interns. Mentoring is a part of who we are. I know mentoring is popular, but I remember mentoring before mentoring was cool. I was in the 6th grade. It was 1982. I was a kid who's parents would fight. I didn't want to be home because their was nothing there for me. My dad was not around, he was working. When he was around, my parents would argue. So I spent alot of time away from home.

That year, I met my first mentor. A man named Jose Gonzalez. He was Ivette Gonzalez's dad. I had a crush on her like you would not believe. Me and every other boy in the 8th grade. I used to ride my ten-speed 2 miles to her house to give her 2 dozen carnations. Yep, big time crush. Jose was her dad. He worked for Sears, he drove a truck and wore a uniform with his name stitched on the pocket. He fixed air conditioners. I think he knew I had a crush on his daughter. How could he not, I had brought over 2 dozen carnations. He asked me my name and gave me a firm handshake. I remember we joked about us both having the same name. I remember seeing him kiss his wife and joke around with his two daughters. I remember him helping them with their homework. He would come to school and help with the science fair or work on the carnival. He always made a point of saying hello and patting me on the back.

Jose invited me and my brother Rob to go and see the Baltimore Orioles play a game in Miami one Spring. I had never been to a baseball game before and neither had my brother. I didn't know who the Orioles were, but Jose did. He pointed the players out to me and told me who Cal Ripken Jr. was. It was cold and rainy and I remember feeling really sick, but I didn't want to go home. I did not want the night to end. I got older and graduated the 8th grade and went to a different high school and lost touch with Jose, but I have never forgotten him. He took time out of his life, when my life was not what I had wished it was, and comforted me. He always had a kind word. He shared stories with me about his family, his love of baseball. He showed me that a man can be strong and compassionate. He showed me another way, when there was no one else around to do that for me.

That is what mentors do. They encourage you, they don't stop believing in you. They let you know that its going to be alright. I have had many mentors: Cornelia Dozier, Carol Cadby, Ruth Newton, Dale Moffit, Paul Walsh, Charlie Helfert, Eve Roberts, David Barrera, Denise Laffer, John Gibson, Deb Hecht, Michael Bernard, Alec Simpson, Tony Gittens, Regina Romero, Jackie Ogg, Richard Kamenitzer. They have all played important roles in my life and each one, showed me another way and gently nudged me in that direction. I am the man I am today because of all of them.

So, today I took my two boys to Opening Day at Nationals Park. First opening today for me and for them. I attached a photo we took. I pointed out the starting pitcher, Livan Hernandez, and the starting catcher, Ivan Rodriguez, to my boys. We cheered as the lineup was introduced We had hot dogs, pretzels & crackers jacks. Its a day I will never forget and I hope they don't either.

I hope I inspired you.

Help me reach my goal by clicking here to donate, any amounts makes a difference to Pyramid Atlantic and the community we serve.

Thanks & feel free to forward to your friends.

Jose

Come Support Your Pyramid Artists!

2011-03-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

Anne Albagli, Lindsay McCulloch, and Gretchen Schermerhorn are three of 8 female artists invited to show their work in DC WOMEN ARTISTS NOW, an exhibition currently on view at the Linda K. Jordan Gallery at Gallaudet University.

Check out some images below for a small sneak peak - but you definitely don't want to miss the show, which is currently on view until April 15, with the opening reception April 5th from 12:30-2:00 (see the postcard above for more info!)

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Work by Gretchen Schermerhorn

Work by Lindsay McCulloch

Work by Annie Albagli

Birthday Card Fundraiser Update

2011-03-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

And many more birthday cards keep rolling in!

In case you didn't know, 18 letterpress volunteers are designing, printing and selling sets of birthday cards to benefit Pyramid. They'll be unveiled at Pyramid's 30th Birthday Party on April 9!

Check out the latest finished cards over at the Pyramid Letterpress blog!

Visiting Artist, Markus Koch

2011-03-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

above: Markus working on film preparation

For three days last week, I had the pleasure working with visiting artist Markus Koch, in the creation of an 8 color screenprint edition. Those of you who are familiar with screenprinting, will probably agree with me when I say that an 8 color print edition was a pretty ambitious endeavor for a three day residency.
Although we were under the gun to get the print finished, Markus was at ease and open to experimentation. He jumped right in without any hesitation (did I mention this was his first printmaking experience, ever?), encouraged improvisation, and told some great stories while we worked. We did manage to get the print edition finished, just minutes before the BWI Super shuttle arrived.

Big take away: It is really is about the journey.
Thanks Markus.Also, thanks to the NFL Players Association, for sponsoring Markus' residency

My inspiration: My friends

2011-03-24T20:06:00.001-07:00

My friends, it's week 4 and I am at $1,157. Thank you, thank you all! Woo hoo! It is a steady climb to $3,000 to support Pyramid Atlantic’s awesome arts, education & community programs.

It’s a challenge, but one that I am inspired to accomplish and I want to inspire you too.

Week 4 inspiration:

Pyramid isn’t just where I work, but its where I have alot of friends. My friends sell insurance, tend bar, work for doctors, non-profits, county government, NIH, teach at Montgomery College, teach in after school programs, at universities, in public schools, are property managers, self-employed, lawyers, artists, graphic designers, physical therapists, teachers, moms, dads, & retirees.

They come from all over. They are all different, but they are all compassionate, creative, curious and crazy. They all encourage me when I am afraid and help keep my feet on the ground when I am overwhelmed and feel like I am about to drift away.

I didn’t always know what friends were. When I was a kid, my mother used to say, “You have no friends, just acquaintances.” She didn’t know what friend were. She didn’t trust many people. She left Cuba, came to the US and married and divorced in a span of 3 years. In 1966, being a single mom with a young daughter AND Hispanic in the United States could not have been easy. Her family was not very proud and let her know. She learned not to trust people and I did too. Then I met Lisa.

Lisa & I met in 1992 on the 4th of July in DC. I was introduced to her through a friend I went to college with. I didn’t know when we met we would marry 4 years later, but I do know that I thought she was beautiful and kind. Kindest person I had ever met. She would come up to NYC and visit me and we would have fun walking to Central Park, in Rockefeller Plaza, (that is me & Lisa below at Rockefeller Plaza in December of 1992) through the Upper East Side. We tell each other stories. We would encourage each other’s dreams and aspirations. I remember feeling like the luckiest person in the world when she would visit. I felt special.

We have been friends for 19 years and married for 14 of those years. I have learned everything about being a friend from our relationship. I have learned friends are patient & kind. Friends love you even when you can’t love yourself. Friends tell you the truth, even when it hurts. Friends are happiest when you are happy, even if it means they are not. Friends are in it for the long haul.

My favorite movie is, It’s A Wonderful Life. At the end of the movie, the angel tells George, “A man is never poor if he is rich in friends.” I am a billionaire.

I hope I inspired you.

Help me reach my goal by clicking here to donate, any amounts makes a difference and gets me that much closer.

Thanks & feel free to forward to your friends.

Jose

Birthday Card Fundraiser

2011-03-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

At Pyramid's Birthday Celebration on April 9, we'll be unveiling sets of birthday cards for sale! The cards will be designed and printed by various members of the Pyramid letterpress community and the proceeds will go directly to help fund Pyramid's facilities and programs!

Here's a shot taken by Marty of the cards that have been printed so far:

For more photos, check out the previews posted over on the Pyramid Letterpress blog:

Birthday Card Fundraiser Preview #1

Birthday Card Fundraiser Preview #2

Handprinted Wedding Invitations

2011-03-20T18:07:00.000-07:00

Christopher Daly and Bettina Smith show off their his and hers screenprinted wedding invites.

Bettina puts down the type for the invitations.

Bride-to-be Bettina Smith and assistant Caryn Lazzuri screenprinted the periwinkle blue invitation heartshaped backgrounds at Screenprint Society. Bettina and her fiancé returned on the weekend to finish up the printing.

Pyramid Artists at Community Bridges

2011-03-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, teaching artist-in-residence Trisha Gupta, along with studio intern/Pyramid groupie Anna Spelman facilitated a class at Community Bridges 4th Annual "Step Up Summit"-Speak Your Soul!
Community Bridges is a non profit organization providing leadership and empowerment programs to young girls and women in the Silver Spring area. Pyramid has partnered with them in the past, and this proved to be yet another successful event. Trisha and Anna taught basic bookbinding to elementary school girls (and one brave young man!). They were among a group of talented other facilitators in the arts, including a human beatbox/rap artist, a puppeteer, and a songwriter.

This is Trisha with our youngest participant, Maria, who is six, and made a beautiful book.

And here are Jeremy and Nidira, two other participants in the class, with their books:

Trisha and Anna found they learned some new bookbinding structures while teaching, because each participant had a different idea and different thoughts about how they wanted to bind their book.

You can watch a video about the summit here.

What gets me out of bed every morning?

2011-03-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

Alan Akman. Not Alan Akman personally because that would make it very crowded in the morning with both Alan and my wife. I get up because I want to come to Pyramid and see Alan screenprint. Or to watch Jill Parisi etching, or Anne Albagli printing, Amelia Hankin drawing, Laura Kinneberg making paper, Amdy painting, Patty Lee making books, Lindsay & Jody making boxes.

These are a few of the artists who create art at Pyramid. I see them everyday. They come in with a mission and a purpose. They could not be anywhere else. They take out their inks, their paper, their tools. They get set up and get right to work. There is never a peep or small talk. It’s work. It’s sacred work. It humbles me.

I am not a visual artist. But I get it. I understand work. I understand it because its where I come from. My dad (in the pictures above) came to this country in 1959 from Havana, Cuba. He didn’t plan to come here. There were things he wanted to get done, but one day he is in Cuba, wondering what to do tomorrow, where to go. “Am I going to have dinner at home or go dancing with friends,” he might have thought. The next day, everything changed. Fidel Castro. He was making plans to come to the US with a wife whose 8 months pregnant (my brother, Humphrey). He didn’t plan to be here long. Just until everything in Cuba settled down and then he‘d be back at work at his Dad‘s shoe store. But it never settled down and here he was in a new country with a family, broken English and a thick accent. So he went to work.

He arrived in Miami, and then went with his young family to New Jersey to work in a box factory. He made boxes. Once that job was done he came back to Miami and drove a beer truck. Then he sold chips and candy bars, then watches and calculators, then luggage, then souvenirs, then wine and finally scotch. Always working. I loved getting up early when I was a kid, like 5 in the morning to go to work with my dad. It was chilly, quiet and dark in the morning. It was just him and me. I loved spending that time with him in the morning, riding in his truck, headed to the warehouse to load up for the deliveries that day. It was a sacred time.

My dad past away 8 years ago. When I wake up early today, and its chilly and quiet and dark, I think about my dad and it makes me smile. I am going to work. It’s why I get up today and everyday and come to Pyramid and watch Alan. It’s what I know, it’s what I believe in, its what is sacred to me and what inspires me.

I hope I inspired you. Help me reach my goal by donating here, any amount makes a difference and gets me that much closer.

Thanks.

Jose

Pyramid turns 30!

2011-03-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

Illustration by Elizabeth Graeber.

Pyramid is celebrating 30 years! Come and celebrate our 30th Birthday Party with us. Enjoy artist demonstrations, studio tours, our annual members exhibition, live music, hands on arts activities, door prizes, art raffles, cake & ice cream and so much more!

It's going to be a special day and we want you there. So mark your calendars and bring a friend. We will save you the corner piece!

Date: Saturday, April 9

Time: 2 pm to 5 pm

Place: 8230 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring MD 20910

Free & Open To The Public

Generous support for the Pyramid Atlantic Open House & 30th Birthday Party is being provided by Plaza Artist Materials.

What Inspires Me?

2011-03-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

Folks, this is week 2 of my fundraising journey a.k.a “16 weeks of Inspiration." I hope that over the next 16 weeks I inspire you & you join me on my journey.

What Inspires Me? I grew up in Miami an awkward kid. I did not have many friends. I was not very good at sports, interested in school and my parents were always fighting. I didn’t really like school either, I got C’s & D’s.

When I was in the 6th grade, Mrs. Hernandez was casting the Thanksgiving play , “The Turkey & The Pumpkin.“ She was looking for volunteers. I looked around and saw that nobody was raising their hand. “I’ll do it,” I said. Another boy, Michael Jauregui, volunteered to be the Turkey. We rehearsed and performed at the Thanksgiving Assembly in the school cafeteria two weeks later.

I remember standing on the stage in my cardboard pumpkin costume, looking from the stage at all of the kids in the cafeteria. They were looking at ME. Wow, I was making them laugh. I felt like someone special that day. I had never felt that way before.

I wrote a play the following year in the 7th grade and performed it with Sylvia Lopez, the prettiest girl in the 7th grade. I auditioned for a performing arts high school in the 9th grade and got in. No one else from my junior high did. My senior year, I auditioned for a number of colleges, was accepted at Southern Methodist University and received a full tuition scholarship for 4 years. I was going to be the first person in my family to graduate from college.

That play changed my life. The arts changed my life. It gave me purpose. It helped me grow from an awkward kid with few friends to a confident man with an ever-growing community of friends and family. Many people go their whole lives wondering where it is they belong and never sure. I was lucky.

That is why I am at Pyramid. That is what inspires me everyday. I want to make sure that everyone, regardless of age or ability, has the same opportunity that I had as a boy. The opportunity to connect to your truest self. Because that is what the arts do. They connect you to who you really are, and when you do, it feels good. AND when you truly connect with yourself, you have the power to bring joy to not only yourself, but so many other people.

I have raised $491.93 towards my goal of $3,000 for Pyramid's program to date. Amazing! Thank you all who have contributed to date. Let’s keep the journey going.

Click to here to donate

7th grade

Cuteness Invasion at Screenprint Society

2011-03-03T17:33:00.000-08:00

Leila, Sonya and Zoe

Katherine Rodriguez regular inks up her handgun design for a tee shirt

Mary Ott printing her grasses while the girls watch

(In)Habit Talk-Join us!

2011-02-26T08:24:00.000-08:00

IN(HABIT) Residency 2010
The transformation of a bathroom into a multi-purpose space
Pyramid Atlantic Art Center

In December artists Richard Lyew and Deborah Carroll Anzinger completed the In(Habit) residency at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center where they transformed a bathroom into a space that functions as an artist studio, exhibition space and sleeping quarters. Please join us for a talk they will be giving about the process.

After the talk an opening reception will be hosted in the In(Habit) space, during which the prints that Deborah completed at Pyramid will be shown.

Come and celebrate the completion of the project with us!

Thursday March 3
6 - 8 PM
Pyramid Atlantic Art Center
8230 Georgia Ave
Silver Spring, MD

contact:
301 608 9101
gschermerhorn@pyramid-atlantic.org

The 3 Best Things About Working At Pyramid

2011-02-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

The 3 best things about working at Pyramid:
1. Everyday is a new day
2. The people, they are so committed
3. The art, always makes me stop and say "wow"

I thought that I would share some pictures with you that I took yesterday at Pyramid.

This is Amdy. He comes & paints everyday.

This is Alan and Elizabeth in the screenprint studio.

Beth busy in the Letterpress Area

Patty getting ready for a class

Jeremiah is stamping envelopes

Amelia (Artist in Residence) leads a tour of students

Two of my favorite prints from the Washington Printmakers exhibit upstairs in the gallery

(Below) Amelia leads an Artist Talk

Jill (Artist in Residence) in her studio

Getting to Know Artist in Residence Amelia Hankin

2011-02-22T10:42:00.000-08:00

This winter, Pyramid Atlantic welcomed two new Artists in Residence, Amelia Hankin and Jill Parisi. Both artists have been working tirelessly in the studio, expanding their portfolios of work.

This week, Amelia will be giving a lecture discussing her artistic process and development. You will have the opportunity not only to hear about what she's been working on, but to view some of her most recent prints and other works created during her residency at Pyramid Atlantic thus far. Please join us!

Details

Date: Thursday, February 24th

Time: 6-7pm

Location: Pyramid Atlantic-8230 Georgia Avenue

Here are some images of Amelia's work. You can see more at her website.

see what our intens have been up to!

2011-02-22T08:29:00.000-08:00

For the past few weeks, our winter studio interns, Melissa Salazar and Anna Spelman, have been working on thank you notes to send out to all the wonderful people who support Pyramid Atlantic.

The project started in the paper studio, where Anna and Melissa, with the help of Maria, an intern from Swarthmore College, made paper from cotton rag. White cotton with a bit of black mixed in created a gray-blue paper the interns used for one of the thank you cards:

The girls also used white cotton rag to create a lovely thick white paper used in the rest of the cards. Different moulds and deckles created several different paper sizes, allowing for a good deal of variety in the shape and feel of the cards. After cutting the paper down to size, the interns started the letterpress process, setting type for 4 different cards.

After a long day of printing the interns had 4 styles of cards, which they went on to embellish with stitching and vellum accents.

We are very excited about how everything turned out. Keep an eye out in your mailbox...you just might be getting one of them!

Pyramid Atlantic Member's Exhibition

2011-01-21T10:03:00.000-08:00

Pyramid Atlantic Art Center invites all of its members to enter the Annual Member's Juried Exhibition. No Entry fee! All prints, works on/in paper, and book arts will be considered by the juror, Alec Simpson. Selected works will be on exhibit in the Washington Printmaker's Gallery, located on the second floor of Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, from April 1-22, 2011. Three awards, sponsored by Plaza Artist Materials, will be granted.
To apply: go here, drop by our studios for a hard copy prospectus, or contact Gretchen at gschermerhorn@pyramid-atlantic, to have one mailed to you.
Not a member of Pyramid Atlantic? Become one here!

Letterpress Clinic with the interns

2011-01-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I showed our new interns around the letterpress studio. We set some type and practiced printing on one of the Vandercooks.

Here's Melissa getting the hang of setting type:

And here's a cute Harry Potter themed valentine printed by Anna:

Can't wait to see what else they do during their internship!

And just a small plug: check out what else is happening in the letterpress studio over at our blog: www.pyramidletterpress.blogspot.com!

Meet our new Studio Interns!

2011-01-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

We are happy to welcome our winter studio interns: Melissa Salazar, Anna Spelman and Maria Gloria Robalino!
Melissa, a California native and recent UC Santa Cruz graduate, finds the east coast cold weather to be a bit cold, but excited about being back in an artistic community and learning the nuts and bolts of a running an art center.
Anna Spelman is a lover and maker of artist books, and a recent Washington University graduate. She looks forward to sharpening her skills in book arts, and learning new techniques in papermaking and printmaking.
Maria is a current student at Swartmore College, and was with us for a one-week externship. We wish her well with her studies.
Interested in applying for an internship at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center? Go here.

The Healing Power of Art

2011-01-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

We are proud to announce that our board member and Book Arts goddess, Kelly O'Brien has an exhibition opening soon at The National Institutes of Health's Clinical Center Gallery. In Three Acts will feature her artist books and paper sculpture. Open to the public 7 am to 9 pm daily, January 14 - March 4, 2011. For more information, directions and parking, click here .

How to Turn a plan ole bathroom into a fabulous living space.

2010-12-28T15:56:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought that one day a bathroom, with minimal facilities and plain white washed walls would be transformed from a place to spend only a few minutes, to a room where you can spend the night or just take a nap or just hang out.
That was the inspiration that Deborah M. Carroll Anzinger and Richard Lyew devised to build the new "Inhabit" space at Pyramid Art Center this month.
Funny story how they got together. It all started in high school in Jamaica, but after many years, and old friend saw Richard in the airport and later told Deborah, who is a painter that works in large format, about spotting Richard. Deborah tracked Richard down and convinced him that he needed to collaborate with her to do a project. Richard is working as a architect in Rosslyn, so it was a piece of cake for him to help Deborah with designing this great space where visiting artists could spend time while they are creating Art. We all know that once you get involved in a project the minutes turn into hours, which turn into days. You lose all track of time and then realize that many hours have gone by and you haven't even had a chance to take 5 minutes to rest and relax.
The project was sort of like, a reality show where you only have a certain amount of money to transform one room into the Taj Mahal. Richard devised a blank board hanging on the wall where you might hang your work to dry, to a drop down cot that is supported by two tables that turn into storage containers. The space is so diverse, a cabinet that you might think might be someplace to house the rolls of tissue, is actually a unit that can house your paintings or supplies or even your toothbrush. Go figure.
The room continues to have the white washed look, but open the doors and cabinets and you will see that they are all painted vibrant colors to give that bathroom type feel to making you feel like you are a guest at the Mariott or Hilton. "Ahh, Room Service, can you send me a tray of cheese and a bottle of your best.................................... Check it out, but knock first.

Baby it's cold outside!

2010-12-18T07:04:00.000-08:00

Brrrr!
Pyramid Atlantic will be closed from December 19-January 2.
Enjoy your holidays and see you in 2011!

A Visit from Charles Cohan

2010-12-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

Charlie Cohan has been working fast and furiously this past week on an art commission for the Raleigh-Durham airport. I say fast because he had nine [125 lb. glass] panels to print during his week here. I say furiously because I've never seen Charlie work any other way. Annie Albagli, one of our teaching artists-in-residence, has been assisting him.

It's fun having him back, as the last time he was here was in 2008, when he taught a workshop and had a exhibition upstairs. He will be with us for a few more days-so stop in, say hello, and see his very cool prints.