Print Studio Proposal v1

Hi everybody. Here is a proposal for a new collective formed out of Timeless, Infinite Light. Basically we want to split up TIL the small press with the community print studio that's forming, and to have the print collective be recognized as a member of the Omni Collective. We'd like to get this on the agenda for the Sept. 18 meeting so that everyone has enough time to read through it.

Proposal

Timeless, Infinite Light’s original proposal to Omni was twofold: an office space for our poetry press, and a separate space to operate a community print studio. We committed to pay $1,000 a month beginning in October, when the upstairs space would become available. Since being in the Omni building we’ve been moving equipment into the space and setting up the community print studio. Our intention for the Print Studio is to create a community resource with open hours, as well as free trainings and workshops.

So far all this work has all been done under Timeless, Infinite Light as it was originally proposed. But now, as there are currently six presses involved in creating the Community Print Studio, we decided it would make more sense to have this group be its own collective, rather than operating it under the umbrella of Timeless, Infinite Light.

Here's the information on the Community Print Collective:

Mission Statement

We are starting a Community Print Studio at Omni! We are a collective of people dedicated to the art of print and publishing who have come together to share skills, knowledge, and resources. Our long term vision is to make this project accessible to the public by hosting open hours, events, workshops, and free trainings.

We are still in the early stages of this project, but we are well on our way to acquiring the means of production. We currently have a Multi-1850 offset press, a Vandercook 215 letterpress, a C&P and two tabletop letterpresses, several cabinets of type, a perfect-binding machine, two guillotines, a paper folding machine, and a drill press. We are currently in the process of getting more bindery tools.

We currently have a core of 18 collective members. Some of the collectives involved in this project are Timeless, Infinite Light, Publication Studio, Public School Press, four eyes press, Manifest Press, and Mess Editions.

The Community Print Studio will support the work of small presses as well as the practices of individual artists and writers. Our goal is to create an accessible space that fosters radical creative engagement and collaboration between a variety of literary micro-communities. This project can support work made by all collectives in the Omni as well as by people and projects in the larger Bay Area.

Group Finances and Paying Rent

$600/mo + utilities + insurance

In order to get started, we will pay our rent each month by taking dues from the collective members. Each collective member is expected to pay $100/month. If this amount is not possible for someone, and if that person demonstrates commitment to the project, we will consider a sliding scale option.

Dues will be used to cover rent, shared material supplies, maintenance, and repairs.

We will also be applying for a series of grants to help offset the costs of running a Community Print Studio.

Hopefully, as we grow in numbers and get more grants, we will be able to lower our monthly dues.

Dedicated Space

We have begun setting up the main production center of the Community Print Studio in the Omni basement, and as will need to set up a few more worktables for bindery operations, we would like to articulate the space between the library wall and the wall of Sudo Room as dedicated Community Print Studio space.

As we intend to make this space available to the public at large, we will also need a separate lockable space, a llarge cabinets (possibly the cabinet where the law books were) and a few lockers to house our more sensitive equipment and to store materials and printed matter.

Other Contributions

Trainings

We will begin by training our core members to teach general proficiency to new members and other interested people. We will then offer free proficiency trainings on the equipment to the public.

Open Hours

Once we the studio is ready to be open to the public, we plan to begin by having one Open Day per week. These Open Hours (day/time TBD) will be staffed by a volunteer from the collective, who can provide free equipment training to anyone interested. Once proficient on a piece of equipment, an individual can come in during our Open Hours to use that equipment for their projects for a low day use fee (amount TBD).

We will also begin hosting free public workshops once a month.

Workshops

We will work with local publishers, writers, printers, and book artists to host one free public workshop every month for a year. We have applied for a grant to enable us to provide each guest facilitator with an $50 stipend and $30 for materials.

Events

Our long term vision includes hosting salons, artist talks, interdisciplinary performances, reading series’, and participatory printing events.

Micro-gallery

In addition to printing workshops and publishing, we plan on using a window between the TIL office and the upstairs common space to display artists’ work. This would allow the work to be on view whenever the Omni is open.