By Mary Windsor, Staff Writer

Published in print Jan. 28, 2015

On the fourth floor of the Cultural Center in downtown Greensboro, The Piedmont Print Co-op resides, a place where emerging and established printmakers can meet to create work in a shared environment.

It was designed and developed by the Center for Visual Artists (CVA) and is used as a way for printmakers to display their work through gallery events and workshops. These workshops provide a hands-on introduction to various methods of printmaking and their processes.

Thomas Sara, who is with The Piedmont Print Co-Op, was introduced to print making during his time as a student at UNCG. This past May he graduated with a BFA in Printmaking and Drawing where he practiced the hands-on process of creating multiples of his own work.

One of his former printmaking professors, Lee Walton, introduced Sara to The Piedmont Print Co-op this past fall.

“The Co-Op has allowed me to connect with artists who have different approaches to the medium,” said Sara. “They’ve taught me new ways and allowed me to grow and find different ways to create prints.”

Sara was already involved with the CVA when he exhibited some of his prints in a handful of their public shows. One of these was an event called “Pretty in Pink” that opened in September of 2014.

It featured a live printmaking performance in the gallery while Sara and fellow artists were able to make prints for the public. This is when Sara learned of the CVA’s plans to have a functioning print shop in one of their studios in the Cultural Center.

Their plans were made possible with the help and support they have received from The Gallucci Creative Fund and Artsgreensboro. He soon became involved and was on board as the shop’s facilitator.

This past fall Sara and the rest of the Co-Op worked on preparing the studio for it’s opening in January, where Sara demonstrated the art of the etching.

The Piedmont Print Co-Op has a few main goals they are hoping to accomplish in the next few years.Along with creating a space that is able to have and cultivate a variety of members, they want to provide their members with the means to create work they would not be able to produce outside of the studio. They are also hoping to expand the studio to allow for more methods of printmaking.

So far, the press that is available allows the printing of etchings, linocuts, woodcuts, monotypes, paper plate lithography as well as collographs. There’s been some speculation about renovating the studio to allow screen-printing, acid based etching, letter pressing and stone lithography.

The Piedmont Printing Co-op is the only print shop located in Greensboro, aside from local universities that have a more artistic approach to creating prints. The Co-Op hopes to provide a community work environment to develop as well as the opportunity to schedule a private session. In February there will be an introduction to printmaking workshop for those who are interested in learning how to work with the available mediums.

Anyone is allowed to become a member of the Co-Op. Artists can be local or outside of the Greensboro area.

There is an application process that involves submitting a portfolio of your own printmaking work and a CV to the Piedmont Printing Co-op’s email (ppc@greensboroart.com).