Art Degrees Online

Printmaking’s roots are communal – making multiples to be shared widely. So it makes sense that MECA’s printmaking program emphasizes the social aspects of the art. Majors participate in at least one community-based project. In class they learn lithography, starting with stone, progressing to plate and digital printing; intaglio, silkscreen, book arts, and other techniques; and investigating the use of diverse materials and formats.
They learn print as a conceptual language, and explore the breadth of its expression and potentials – including its potential for social change.

Printmaking is a process-oriented medium that involves drawing on or carving into one material, usually wood, stone or metal, and then transferring that image onto another material, usually paper. The Plattsburgh State Printmaking program cultivates a balance between process and concept in a cooperative workshop environment.

Students explore a variety of printmaking media including intaglio, lithography, relief, letterpress, and creative bookmaking. Both unique prints and multiples are produced. While engaging in the practical study of printmaking techniques, students also look at the history of the discipline and discuss related critical issues in contemporary art.

The print shop is very much a working and social community, with a wonderful spirit of cooperation. It is a place where students are taught to master basic technical skills and then encouraged to pursue their own aesthetic path. Students often work collaboratively, producing shared works of art in the form of books or portfolios.
Printmaking Facilities

The printmaking facility consists of a well-lit and ventilated studio equipped with three etching and two lithography presses. There are thirty or more lithographic stones varying in size and color, and a good selection of rollers and brayers. Additionally, there is a small letterpress shop and a book-binding room equipped with foundry type, a book press and other bookbinding tools.