Pressing Matters: Community Printmaking to Support Recovery & Eliminate Stigma
Pressing Matters: Community Printmaking to Support Recovery & Eliminate Stigma is a two-week community project at Public Space One (June 24–July 6) bringing together printmakers, public health researchers, and addiction medicine providers alongside community members with lived and living experience of substance use. Together, participants will use the tools of the print studio letterpress, cyanotype, zine-making, and linocut to create original artwork that reflects their experiences with recovery, resilience, and community.
Each workshop is co-facilitated by a teaching artist from Public Space One and Dr. Nichole Nidey, maternal-child health epidemiologist at the University of Iowa College of Public Health. Dr. Alison Lynch, Director of the University of Iowa Addiction & Recovery Collaborative (UI ARC), will be present throughout the project to offer support and clinical expertise. Each workshop is designed with a trauma-informed approach and emphasizes community agreements, trust, and shared creative exploration.
No prior art experience is required. Each workshop is open to 6 participants with lived or living experience of substance use. At the end of each week, all workshop participants are invited to gather for a group reflection, where they are able to share their work and experiences. The project will culminate in a community gallery exhibition at Public Space One, where participants’ work and narratives will be on display for the public on Monday, July 6th, 5–7pm.
Workshops are free, however only open to individuals with lived/living experience of substance use. Art work created by participants will be digitally scanned for use in future work by Drs. Nidey and Lynch in future activities focused on providing education, stigma reduction, and access to recovery services.
For more information and to register for a workshop, please visit: [link]
Workshop Descriptions:
Weds. Jun 24, 1-5pm: Letterpress with Laura Moser
In this workshop, participants will learn how to create their own messages from wood and metal type using the centuries-old technique of letterpress printing. After a short introduction to the basics of setting type by hand and printing on a printing press, each participant will compose a few words or a short phrase of their choosing to contribute to a collaborative poster designed and printed by the group. Each participant will be able to print their own copy of the final design to take home with them.
Thurs. Jun 25, 1-5pm: Monoprint with May Roded
Often called the “painterly print,”; monoprint is a process of applying ink and stencils to a plexiglass plate and transferring the result onto paper — yielding a one-of-a-kind image every time. This workshop introduces both additive and subtractive approaches: painting or rolling ink onto the plate, using hand-cut stencils and textured materials, and strategically wiping or painting areas to shape the final composition. All materials provided.
Tues. Jun 30, 1-5pm: Linocut with Jenny Gringer
In this workshop, participants will learn the fundamentals of linocut printing, which is one of the most accessible and expressive forms of relief printmaking. Together, participants will explore how to transfer an image or text onto a block, carve with hand tools, and hand-print onto paper. This process can easily be repeated at home with basic supplies.
Weds. Jul 1, 10a-2pm: Cyanotype with Laura Moser
Cyanotype printing uses the power of sunlight to create one-of-a-kind, photographic prints with a distinctive deep blue color. Participants in this workshop will learn how to mix the photosensitive solution and coat a range of materials (including paper and cloth) in preparation for printing, then create prints from different materials including leaves, flowers, and other foraged or found items. Techniques for both outdoor exposure (pending sunny weather) and indoor exposure (using a UV lamp) will be demonstrated in this workshop.
Group Reflection Sessions: Fri. June 26, 6-8pm and Thurs. July 2, 1-3pm
About the teaching artists:
Laura Moser is Public Space One's Community Stewardship Director. She has an MFA in Literary Translation and studied book arts at the University of Iowa Center for the Book before joining the Iowa City Press Co-op in 2022, where she is always learning more about letterpress and other print techniques.
May Roded is an artist and current MFA candidate in Printmaking at the University of Iowa (class of 2027). Her work spans intaglio, lithography, cyanotype, and monoprint, often combining these in layered, complex images. She holds a BFA in Printmaking from Cal State University Long Beach and has taught printmaking at Loyola Marymount University and Otis College of Fine Art, and managed Josephine Press, a community printmaking studio in Santa Monica. May brings extensive experience in collaborative printing and community print education, and is deeply committed to her printmaking communities.
Jenny Gringer is a self-taught linocut printmaker specializing in single and multiblock color printing. Through years of dedicated experimentation, she has developed a distinctive style and approach. Her work often explores political themes, the human condition, and resilience — alongside a recent interest in carving human-like fish. Jenny enjoys being an active member of the Iowa City arts community. Her work aspires to use art as tool for human connection, and the creation of spectacle.
About the project organizers:
Dr. Nichole Nidey is a maternal and child health epidemiologist at the University of Iowa, where her research is focused on improving healthcare experiences and outcomes for individuals with substance use.
Dr. Alison Lynch is a family physician, psychiatrist, and addiction medicine specialist at the University of Iowa, where she directs the Division of Addiction Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry. Her clinical work focuses on providing high quality care to people who use substances, particularly pregnant and parenting people and people who are reentering the community after incarceration. She is also passionate about training the next generation of healthcare providers to provide excellent care to people who use substances.
This project is made possible by a 2026 Obermann Interdisciplinary Research Grant. Read more about the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies here.