By Christina Chang, Minnesota Museum of American Art

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt’s words perfectly capture the do-it-yourself (D.I.Y.) spirit that is the subject of the MMAA Project Space’s new exhibition of print, D.I.Y. Printing: Presses Not Required (March 7-April 28, 2013). The message is clear: don’t wait around for the perfect conditions to do something, for they may never materialize. Do it now, and make it work. It is an inspiring message and call to action, and one that the Twin Cities print community embraces wholeheartedly.

D.I.Y. Printing features the work of eight print collectives and twelve artists in the Twin Cities and surrounding area, alongside works drawn from MMAA’s collection. Many of the exhibiting artists work outside of the traditional studio set up, printing in their living room or from the kitchen sink. Others have pooled their resources with like-minded colleagues to set up modest print shops. All are committed to bringing printmaking to a broader audience, and advocate for sustainability, not only in art but in life as well. Since “doing it yourself” is at the core of this exhibition, there will be plenty of opportunities for visitors to try printing themselves. We hope that the boldness shown by the D.I.Y. artists in being creative with the materials and resources they have on hand will inspire you to “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

DIY title wall

Printing demo