Printmaking, at its core, is the process of making art by printing, usually on paper. There are many different types, such as woodcut, engraving, etching, lithography and silk screen printing. Southeastern students will soon have the unique opportunity to work with and learn these techniques from internationally exhibited printmaker Xenia Fedorchenko.

From Monday, Oct. 24 through Friday, Oct. 28 the Contemporary Art Gallery will be hosting a printmaking workshop as a part of Fanfare.

“She has a variety of styles, she works a lot in lithography and woodcuts,” said gallery director Dale Newkirk. “I think what she’s going to be doing here is going to be a mixture of techniques that will include lithography, which we haven’t had before.”

Fedorchenko, born in Russia, is an assistant professor of art at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX and last year some of her artwork was displayed in Iceland.

“She was chosen by Ernie Milsted, who is our printmaking professor, he sent me recommendations of three or four printmakers,” said Newkirk. “From that, I looked at the work and decided what printmaker would be best to add her work to our collection.”

The workshop will start during the morning on Monday, Oct. 24. Interested students can sign up to be a part of this event in the printmaking studio on the second floor of Clark Hall. Newkirk stated that only about 15 students will be accepted and that priority will be given to printmaking students.

Because Fedorchenko will be working in the studio over a period of five full days, it is advised that participants devote a substantial amount of time to the project in order to contribute to the art and to make the most of the learning experience.

“They’re going to learn the techniques that she needs to do this piece and it’s really up to her what she creates for the gallery,” said Newkirk. “I want it to be a substantial piece so it’s going to be on a full sheet of paper, which means that it’s going to be about 24 by 36 inches. They really haven’t done much lithography there so she’ll be introducing the students to that process.”

The gallery has hosted similar workshops in the past for the benefit of students and also as a method of obtaining original artwork for the university.

“The printmaking workshop, the real mission of that, is to invite printmakers here to make a print for the Southeastern art collection,” said Newkirk. “So they make 20 prints, they get 10 and we get 10. This is the fifth year, so then we’ll have a portfolio of these master printers and we can sell some of those to make revenue for the visiting artist program and keep some of them in the collection.”

Currently some of Fedorchenko’s artwork is being displayed in a corner of the Contemporary Art Gallery. For more information about the workshop email Dale Newkirk at [email protected]. More events will be hosted before the end of the semester, for a full schedule contact the gallery at 985-549-5080 or visit it, located at East Strawberry Stadium.