Written by Colin Secore
Photography by Colin Secore
On Saturday September 21st MKAD held the 2024 Steamroller Print Fest on Iwo Jima Lane. The entire street was closed off for the main attraction, a steamroller being used to print two square feet linoleum blocks. Steamroller printing was first utilized by MKAD for the 2023 DRAW-A-THON, as part of its mega monster movie theme. It’s since been upgraded to its own full-scale event. The steamroller printing consists of a real steamroller being driven over three large linoleum blocks laid in a row to print them onto a long cloth. The blocks themselves are the work of over thirty artists. The artists include fine artists, art educators, people who have collaborated with The DRAW and the Neighborhood Print Studio, employees, and friends of MKAD. The art these artists created comes in many beautiful varieties, a massive feast of different styles, textures, and techniques. I carved a block myself, my piece being a culmination of personal optimistic sentiments. It’s titled “I Am Alive and I Like Living.”
Artist and events producer Maxine Leu was the mastermind behind the event. She made great strides in guiding our staff and volunteers through all the tasks required to make the event possible. The 2024 Steamroller Print Fest was the product of several talented individuals, all with a real passion for the arts. I’m proud to have been a part of it.
The event itself was on a beautiful day, perfect for printing outdoors. The weeks leading up to the event were pretty busy as artists would come to the Neighborhood Print Studio to work on their linoleum blocks, but it didn’t compare to the morning of the event. There was an incredible amount of bustle surrounding preparations and setting up inking stations beside the road. The steamroller was there and standing strong. I learned that all you need to drive a steamroller is a driver’s license, which seems to make sense because there are almost no complications when it comes to driving one. This meant that other people got an opportunity to drive it when they asked.
The process of steamroller printing started with inking up linoleum plates with an oil based ink. Then, three plates would be lined up along a wooden plate, arranged in a cardboard stencil that keeps them in place. Next a damp cloth is laid over them, followed by a blanket. Everything is closed under another plank of wood, and then the steamroller is driven over it forwards and backwards. Finally, everything is pulled away to reveal the print: a cloth banner with the designs of three plates arranged together. Several banners were made during the event, beautiful arrangements of the carving work from many different artists.
The street itself was quite a nice place to be. Food was provided by Kai Navarate, and another booth housed the band the Binoculars. Their music was warm and comfortable, composed of an acoustic guitar, a fiddle, and vocal harmonies. It was perfect for a warm, artistic autumn day. Various locals would come and see the event just from strolling nearby, so the crowd kept growing from interested passerby.
The steamroller printing was not the only star of the event. Just nearby, the Neighborhood Print Studio was open to the public, and one could find live demonstrations of printing equipment and proofs from the linoleum blocks used in the steamroller printing. Then just up the block at The DRAW, the Annual Teaching Artists Show was open to the public. It’s a tradition of The DRAW to put the spotlight on our beloved art educators and present their professional art. The exhibition was visible 24/7 through the window all of October.
We also held the “Adopt-A-Clay-Puggle” event. Hundreds of small clay figures, made by hundreds of Kingston locals over the past four years, were up for adoption. Everyone was free to come in and look over the mountains of Puggles to choose from and pick one of their own to take home. Each one even came with their own adoption certificate and backstory. All proceeds were donated to our art education services.
We’re all really grateful to be able to put on such a grand event. I got to see a lot of people from The DRAW’s legacy come together, not just to create art, but also to make the event possible. The Steamroller Print Fest was built on love of this craft and this community, and due to that, I believe this event and this organization has all the longevity it could ask for.
