BACK AND FORTH: Anticipation of the 2021 Steamroller Festival

By Alyson Atchison

Michael J. Wilson and Bonnie Amspacher, Past print from the Steamroller Festival, printed on Tyvek, 3’ x 6’

In printmaking, artists are taught to anticipate what might happen during the back and forth motion of the squeegee, press, baren, or other tool intended for smooth application of ink to paper. With that, patience is learned. Over the last year, we’ve all likely practiced some patience. If you’re not already a printmaker, 2020 probably taught you the first step of the trade: patience. And for printmakers and everyone alike, we wait in anticipation for the next Steamroller Festival.

Before we look forth, let’s look back. The Steamroller Festival began in 2013 at ARTSPACE at Untitled in Oklahoma City by bringing together dozens of artists, endless inks, papers, and blocks onto the streets of Deep Deuce to meet up with a five-ton steamroller. This inaugural event formed a community of printmakers working together to produce large scale prints. In only a handful of years, the festival grew to become ARTSPACE’s largest annual event. It attracts over 2,000 visitors, more than 150 artists, as well as food trucks and live music during a one-day celebration.

Before the Steamroller Festival, many printmakers in Oklahoma might have only been familiar to you because they were your high school art teacher, your drawing instructor in college, or an artist-inresidence in educational programs. Did you know what kind of mastery of technique and skill they were hiding before you saw the large-scale block they carved?

Maybe or maybe not, but the Steamroller Festival has also attracted younger printmaking artists in its tenure—something that was lacking in Oklahoma in 2013. In addition, the festival laid the foundation for a successful mentorship program providing printmaking studies for rural students. From back to forth, let’s look ahead to the 2021 Steamroller Festival and why it is so anticipated. The seventh annual festival was canceled and postponed in 2020 due to measures to keep our communities safe during the COVID pandemic. As we look ahead to 2021 and anticipate the next festival, we can learn from printmakers who wait patiently for the paper to be peeled from the block.

Oklahoma artist and educator, Glenda Ross says, “The Steamroller Festival was a great opportunity to expand my artist network and explore printmaking. It was good to have my students observe me working on this piece during class and be able to ‘art talk’ with them. I completed the carving. When school went to ‘distance learning,’ and the 2020 event got postponed, I decided to use the block to teach my AP

Steamroller Festival, 2019

Steamroller Festival, 2019

Drawing class ideas about ‘mark making’ and used it as a relief for rubbings. I’m really looking forward to see the printed result and expand printing my series ideas more in the process in 2021!”

And from Oklahoma printmaker Michael Wilson about why the festival is so important, “Who doesn’t love to see heavy equipment being used in strange and playful ways? Also, igniting people’s imagination is always a worthwhile pursuit. Particularly now after we have all taken so many hits with the pandemic and everything else.”

The Steamroller Festival is a community gathering and celebration of printmaking, an artform that is at the core of ARTSPACE’s work. To be a part of the print party, visit ARTSPACE on Saturday, April 24, 2021, 10:00am to 6:00pm. ARTSPACE is located at 1 NE 3rd St in Oklahoma City’s Deep Deuce District. For more information, visit 1ne3.org. n

Alyson Atchison is a printmaker, curator, and art writer based in Oklahoma City. She currently serves as curator of smART Space at Science Museum Oklahoma.

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