The ArtOrg project called the “1000 Print Summer” kicks off this Saturday at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. The big project travels to over one-dozen regional art centers and festivals over the course of this summer. During each event, a small steamroller is used to roll over inked-up blocks to make prints for kids (and even some adults). The kids create their own printing blocks, the blocks are inked up, placed in front of the steamroller, covered with paper and roller over to make the print. The hours of this event are 10am to 3pm on Saturday, July 5–we will be set up in the middle of the Walker Sculpture Park, and right next to the famous spoon and cherry! Check for more details here at the Walker website.

The project is funded in part by Forecast Public Art. A complete schedule is developing–watch for additions as the summer progresses. All events are free and open to the public–the major educational activity of ArtOrg for this summer!

The goal of the 100 Print Summer is, simply stated, to teach 1000 kids how to make a real print in an exciting way. We have place where the kids sign their work so every print that is created will be signed in the traditional manner–and the kids will then learn to interpret the markings they see when they go in to the museum and see famous prints. This event at the Walker completes a troika of significant events held at the three big art museums of the Twin Cites: 1) a similar printing event held in September of 2006 at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 2) the accession of the ArtOrg Day of the Dead Print set to the Weisman Museum at the University of Minnesota in late 2007, and finally this event, an stop at the Walker Art Center for one leg of the 1000 Print Summer. Not bad for a group less than 5 years old, eh?

Check back for more details as this event progresses–there is a huge capstone event planned at the completion of the project! More on that later…