But Reinaldo Gil Zambrano has long dreamed that Spokane would be called "Print Town U.S.A."
As a local printmaker and educator, Gil Zambrano has been working hard the past several years to make that dream into reality. He co-owns and operates Spokane Print and Publishing Center (SPPC), a place where local printmakers can teach, work and learn, and he runs the annual Spokane Print Fest each spring for artists to gather and showcase the world of printmaking.
His dream of Spokane becoming Print Town U.S.A. is well within reach this week as the Rocky Mountain Printmaking Alliance's (RMPA) biennial symposium rolls into Spokane for a three-day conference celebrating all things print.
"We believe that we are working toward creating a hub of the celebration of printmaking here in Spokane," Gil Zambrano says. "And the fact that [RMPA] asked if we would host this conference and bring people in from all of these different regions, well it's kind of like a recognition of that effort."
Founded in 2009, the Rocky Mountain Printmaking Alliance is composed of printmakers from Idaho, Colorado, Washington, Montana, Utah and beyond. The nonprofit holds a biennial (once every other year) symposium that aims to showcase the printmaking community within a regional host city.
The conference begins on Thursday, Oct. 12, and runs through the late hours of Saturday, Oct, 14. Though many of the panels and workshops are for those already registered, the program boasts ample community events that the public can engage in as well.
The conference starts with a keynote address by Miranda Metcalf, co-founder of Hello, Print Friend, a podcast featuring interviews with printmakers from around the world, and ends with a speech titled "Spokane is Awesome!" by Spokane Arts' former executive director Melissa Huggins.
Melanie Antuna Hewitt, a local book artist and Spokane Print and Publishing Center member, says that the print community in Spokane is beginning to flourish.
"We aren't just somewhere that printmaking happens," she says. "Now, Spokane is a place where excellent examples of printmaking happen, and it's a huge thing to be recognized for. They could've asked Seattle or someplace in Southern California to host it, but RMPA chose Spokane because of the caliber of work we're putting out there."
Hewitt's goal is to have a place in Spokane where printmakers can be artists-in-residence and create while being surrounded by all the region has to offer.
"Receiving recognition from places like RMPA allows us to show what we have going on here in Spokane," she says. "Then maybe more people will become interested in Spokane. Maybe people will even apply to Gonzaga or Eastern and receive their printmaking education from those local institutions."
The conference takes place at various establishments around the city, giving attendees the chance to see the natural beauty that Spokane has to offer as well as the art institutions that drive the city's arts scene.
The first day's festivities are happening at the Northwest Museum of Art & Culture, while the second day's festivities jump around from the Central Library to Gonzaga University and the third day showcases Spokane Print and Publishing Center, The Hive and Riverfront Park — a perfect sampling of what Spokane has to offer.
While Hewitt won't be attending the symposium, she's happy to hand another SPPC member the responsibility of representing the center during the conference.
Sarah Windisch is a Coeur d'Alene-based artist who stumbled into the world of printmaking by accident.
"I took an Art 100 class while I was in college to become a music teacher," Windisch says. "We learned about printmaking and it became my fun, relaxing hobby. Well, fast forward to COVID when everybody finally got a chance to explore those hobbies, I started spending more time doing it and exploring. And, well, I guess I'm an artist now!"
Windisch's workshop involves using sustainable and household items to create prints, like Tetra Pak packaging and lint rollers. The artist wants workshop participants to tap into their inner child and create freely.
"My favorite thing about printmaking is that it's so accessible," she says. "Kids can do it, adults can do it, anyone can do it. So I want these people who probably have a degree in this sort of stuff to take a step back, think about the essence of printmaking and what they would do with limited resources and limited time."
This is Windisch's first time presenting at an art conference, let alone to an entire symposium full of seasoned printmakers. Is she nervous? Yeah! But she says there's so much to be learned by fostering connections with people outside one's own sphere.
"Printmaking isn't gatekeep-y," she says. "It's always been for the masses. So I think the more that we can talk to other people about it, the more the printmaking world will change and evolve. I think that's so exciting." ♦
Rocky Mountain Printmaking Alliance Symposium • Oct. 12-14; times vary • $30-$75 • Locations vary • rockymountainprintmakingalliance.org
