Local printmaking shop holds rich history

Looking around The Ink Shop, a quaint printmaking shop and gallery in Ithaca, will reveal generations of art and technology.

Rustic printing presses sit in the back room, waiting for the hands of print artists, and high-speed Macintosh computers are neatly arranged in the front cranny of the gallery, workers typing away at the keys. The Ink Shop in downtown Ithaca is more than just a small room on the second floor of a historic building — it’s a microcosm of the rapidly changing artistic world.

The shop is a hub for artists in Ithaca and surrounding areas who specialize in printmaking, a process of making art that includes printing images and type directly onto paper, sculptures, or even glass. Currently housed on the second floor of the Community School of Music and Arts, The Ink Shop recently celebrated its tenth anniversary on May 7.

Christa Wolf, president of the Ink Shop, said her history with the group goes back as far as 20 years, before they were an official organization.

“We are kind of aficionados,” she said. “We’re paper guys. We want to do this.”

The anniversary celebration featured work from artists all over the country and brought in hundreds of viewers over the course of the day. But the history of the Ink Shop shows a more extensive background on which the shop was founded.

It began in a small space in an old airplane factory and later moved to the Handwork craft store on State Street on the Ithaca Commons. After a fire in the building on Jan. 9, 2008 halted their programming , the directors were forced to move to the second floor of the CSMA.

Pamela Drix, co-founder and treasurer of the shop, said the fire was a setback for the artists and the board of directors.

“We had to quickly vacate it,” she said. “The State Theatre and the Hangar Theatre combined to lend us a space and gave us a small apartment. It was a total of 6 to 9 months that we were not in operation because we were in limbo, but we’re here now.”

In spite of all the change in space, vice president Craig Manes said the organization sticks to its fundamental goal of bridging the gap between generations of technology and artistry.

“We use some very antiquated equipment but we also work with a bank of computers, the latest Macintoshes and PCs,” he said. “We don’t see that we have to maintain the old ways necessarily, we use a lot of the old technology in new ways.”

Every semester, the Ink Shop strives to connect the student community to the artwork and programs they run. Interns from both Ithaca College and Cornell University work year-round with the directors of the shop, integrating them with the arts community of the small town in the Finger Lakes region.

Wolf said her interns help shape the family created each year in the cozy space on State Street. Though they are small, she said, they continue to do big things.

“We have lots of interns [and] we work with [them] every year,” she said. “I’m like the grandmother of them and … that’s the fun of it. We are connecting to the artwork.”

Jill on Sending Troops into Afghanistan

Products in hand and shopping cart at the ready, Jill looked just about prepared to charge through Wegman’s shopping center for goods for the holiday season. We stopped her and asked her about the War in Afghanistan—a topic that’s sure to bring some holiday cheer. Here’s what she had to say.

Aaron: What do you think of Obama sending 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan?

Disappointing. I want to see us bringing our boys home, not sending more out.

Aaron: How do you feel about our relations with Afghanistan?

We have been there long enough. If we were going to do any good, it should have been done by now.

Chris on Sending Troops into Afghanistan

For our last topic as Townie Talk creepers, we decided to scout out some people’s opinions on Obama’s recent plan to surge the amount of troops in Afghanistan. Obama proposed an increase of 30,000 troops and a gradual pull-out of troops over the next two years. In the aisles of Wegman’s, we found that this topic is on the minds of many, including Chris, who offered a few words on the subject.

Whitney: How do you feel about Obama’s decision to send more troops into Afghanistan?

It’s a shame that the war is escalating. I’m not an expert in the field, though, so I am not sure what a better strategy would be.

Whitney: What do you think of the current standing the United States has with Afghanistan?

The work that we are doing and the international community are trying to do – help them with infrastructure and that sort of thing to help the quality of life — is good.

Townie Talk Recap

So our experiment was a success! Over the past few months, we’ve been going around to citizens of the Ithaca area and interviewing them about their opinions on different topics.

Not a shocker, but most of our responses leaned to a more “leftist” view, with some leveling the playing field, showing the diverse opinions of Ithaca.

We also gave you guys a look at our own hometowns and how they measure up to Ithaca’s views. And don’t forget when we reviewed some local food and hotspots to hang while on The Commons. It’s been a busy semester at Townie Talk and we have one more week of creeping left for your reading pleasure. Don’t forget to send us your final suggestions on a topic! The ones we got were helpful and we even ended up using a few of them.

Here’s to the final days of Townie Talk. Creep on, my friends. Creep on.

Townie Talk Timeline

Townie Talk is coming to a close, so Whitney and I decided to recap what we covered so far in a nifty timeline! On it, you can find all our posts and the groundbreaking stories that accompany them. Enjoy!

Click here for our Dipity Timeline.

Amy on Same-Sex Marriage

It’s amazing how one’s alma mater can connect them to interesting, creeper students. Ithaca grad Amy was chatting with her friends and looking through variations of grills for the holiday season. Who knew we’d come up out of the blue and ask her about gay marriage?

It’s a hot-button issue, especially since New York State defeated the bill that would have granted marriage rights to gay couples. We here at Townie Talk are all for gay marriage. Here’s what Amy had to say.

Aaron: What are your thoughts on the current issue of same-sex marriage?

It should be legal for couples of the same sex to get married, because it’s legal equality for everybody. Unfortunately the religious aspect takes over a lot of how those decisions are made.

Aaron: What about the coverage of this issue?

Most things in the media are usually hyped up and it’s hard to find an accurate and reliable report of what’s happening.

Scott on Same-Sex Marriage

Scott has a thing or two to say about people who fear the gay marriage talks across the country. It’s a pivotal time in our society and what would this issue be without Townie Talk creeping into the woodwork?

Whitney: What are your thoughts on the bill for Same-Sex marriage currently being debated in several states?

Same-Sex marriage basically is all about legal rights for the people to get together, so it shouldn’t be a big deal.

Whitney: Do you think all the hype and conflict that surrounds the issue has merit?

It’s kind of blown out of proportion, because  the people that reject it are more people that are traditionalists. They think  if they accept that, their children will grow up to be gay just because they see it. People that can change are more accepting of it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We’re taking a break from our usual posts this week to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. We hope you’ll do the same. So, from the creepers here at Townie Talk, have a fantastic, loving, turkey-filled (or some other food, since Aaron dislikes turkey) creeptastic Thanksgiving!

Doug on Oprah

We spotted Doug from another aisle in Wal-Mart. It was a few moments before we could creep up on him.  With the holidays coming up, we found him looking for through the toy section of the store.  Although he doesn’t follow Oprah’s career very much, he thought it was alright for her to leave the show, because it doesn’t mean she has gone from the public eye altogether.

Aaron: What are your thoughts on Oprah’s announcement that she is leaving her show after next season?

“Well I really don’t watch her, but I thought I heard that she was going to be doing something else, like getting involved with buying a Sirius radio station.

Aaron: What do you think of her moving from television to radio?

“She is going to be missed by a lot of people. She has done a lot of good things, but I don’t have much of an opinion, because I just don’t watch it.”

Pat on Oprah

For those who haven’t heard, we are sad to report that after 25 years of revolutionary years on television, Oprah Winfrey will be packing up her couches and her free cars.  She made the tearful announcement to her fans Thursday that next season will be her last.  After years of counseling people on her couch and bringing major social issues to all Americans, she is packing everything up for new opportunities.  We wanted to ask Ithaca townies what they thought of this major change in the television landscape.

Pat was perusing the beads section of Wal-Mart, undoubtedly planning her next craft, when we happened to sneak up on her.  She was surprised by our entrance but soon warmed up to our creeper style and told us her opinions on Oprah.  Pat thought it was a good time for the show to end, as she has done so much.

Whitney: What do you think of Oprah’s decision to end her talk show after 25 seasons?

“I think she has something else up her sleeve. She will probably do something similar, but I think it’s good — 25 years is good. She’s covered just about everything she can cover. She has done a lot for TV, especially women in TV. She has been great.”