KALAMAZOO—September 22, 2026
The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts’ Kirk Newman Art School (KNAS) will present a day-long outdoor event honoring the disciplines of photography and printmaking at this year’s South Street Print Fest held Saturday, September 26 from 10am–3pm. The printmaking is free to watch for spectators with donations welcome in support of the Kirk Newman Art School.
The South Street Print Fest will showcase how a steamroller can be used as a printing press to create large-scale art prints from carved wood panels. KNAS faculty, students, and area printmakers have spent months carving their panels which they will ink onsite and print onto fabric in the KIA’s South Street parking lot. During the event, the public is invited to witness the process and experience other demonstrations including screen printing, photogravure, and watercolor woodblock printing.
In addition to experiencing the creative process of how large-scale prints are made and other printmaking demos, this year’s event will also honor the 19th-century photographic printing process of cyanotypes in honor of World Cyanotype Day. Cyanotypes are made by coating paper or fabric with a light-sensitive chemical solution in which objects are placed on top and then exposed to sunlight.
“We are thrilled to bring the community together to celebrate the art of handmade prints and to witness the spectacle of these processes. Whether it’s the creative use of heavy construction equipment to create beautiful relief prints, or the scientific application of a historic, cameraless process to create photographs, we expect a fun day of creativity and wonder,” said Leslie Donaldson, director of the Kirk Newman Art School.
Saturday & Sunday Workshops
PRINTING FOR ADVANCED COMMUNITY PRINTMAKERS
If you are a community member who has carved your own block and are interested in producing two large-scale prints on September 26, a few timeslots remain for registration. Registration covers fabric, ink, staff support, and reservation time. Just bring your prepared matrix!
This option is for those who have printmaking experience and already have their own carved block. Tuition is $45 for KIA members and $65 for non-members and is a per person rate, even if you chose to do a collaborative matrix. Please contact the School registration office for more information and available times: 269-585-9266.
HAND COLORED CYANOTYPE WORKSHOP
Are you interested in making several cyanotype images at September’s South Street Print Fest and want to learn how to enhance your pieces using hand coloring techniques and collaged elements? We invite you to pre-register for this workshop with Mary Whalen, KNAS Chair of Photography. Tuition is $80 for KIA members and $100 for non-members and includes your cyanotype registration, instruction, onsite materials, and handcoloring supplies.
Note that this experience supports your registration and instruction at the September 26 event and your hand coloring workshop and supplies on Sunday, September 27 from 1-3pm. Tuition is a per person rate even if you choose to participate in the event as a group. No experience necessary.
About the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Founded in 1924, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (KIA) is a nationally accredited art museum and community art school that brings people together through creativity, learning, and shared experience. Each year, more than 100,000 visitors explore 10–15 rotating exhibitions across the museum’s 10 galleries, drawn from a permanent collection of more than 4,600 works spanning American, European, Asian, and contemporary art.
Beyond the galleries, the KIA is a place where art is not only viewed but made. The Kirk Newman Art School (KNAS) welcomes more than 3,400 enrollments annually, offering hands-on instruction in ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, drawing and painting, printmaking, fiber, photography, glass fusing, and enrichment programs for all ages. Students learn directly from professional artists and educators in a dynamic, studio-based environment.
The museum campus also includes a multi-media auditorium, a publicly accessible art library, an interactive children’s gallery, and the KIA Gallery Shop featuring work by local, regional, and international artists.
Through exhibitions, education, and community partnerships, the KIA serves as a cultural anchor for Southwest Michigan — a place where art sparks curiosity, strengthens connection, and inspires new ways of seeing. Learn more at kiarts.org.