PRESSING MATTERS

Group of people posing in a large art gallery with high ceilings, columns, and various artworks on the walls.

About Pressing Matters

Pressing Matters is a free, after school program for Cleveland area teens that introduces students to printmaking as a tool for expression, interpretation, activism and self-advocacy. Through an interdisciplinary curriculum, Pressing Matters encourages teens to deepen their understanding of public humanities, civic engagement, socially-engaged art production, and art education. Students and educators have the opportunity to learn from one another and develop new ways of thinking and making, using printmaking as the central medium for its historical significance in communicating personal and political events.

The program is facilitated weekly by Zygote Press in collaboration with Zygote Press’ Sequoia Bostick (Community Engagement Manager) and Jackie Feldman (Executive Director).

Learn More

  • This project was conceived of and founded by Erin Benay, esteemed public humanities and art history professor at Case Western Reserve University. In collaboration with Case, the pilot program launched in Spring of 2022. Benay designed and taught an interdisciplinary course wherein CWRU students developed curriculum to be used in the Summer 2022 Pressing Matters workshop. Open to advanced undergraduates and graduate students, this course contained elements of art history and the humanities, with one third of the class time spent at Zygote Press gaining hands-on printmaking experience. Case students simultaneously learned about Cleveland’s own history with printmaking and how the medium has interacted with politics and racial justice. The culmination of this course was a 72-page book, created entirely by CWRU students, which contextualized the project and laid out a curriculum for the summer workshop. 

    The Summer 2022 Pressing Matters workshop took place at the Community Arts Center in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood over the course of seven weeks. Each week, participants met for a three-hour session that wove together the history of printmaking with printmaking skill development, supplemented by visits from guest artists who spoke about their use of art in effecting social change. Over the course of the summer, participants envisioned and created prints that depicted issues important to them, and put together a final exhibition that was open to the public. Proceeds from art sales went to nonprofits of the participants’ choosing.

    Since then, Zygote Press has offered two 7-week Pressing Matters sessions per year. However, Pressing Matters 2026 has been on hold due to a lack of funding.

  • Cohort of up to 12 students from area schools will come to Zygote once a week for nine weeks of printmaking learning. Through hands-on workshops and mentorship, students will be introduced to working printmakers in the community, fostering meaningful connections and a deeper appreciation for the printmaking discipline. Sessions explore the overlap between printmaking, civic engagement, and humanities overlap, engaging students with the practice of printmaking alongside its history. Each session begins with a brief history lesson and discussion, followed by a talk from a visiting humanities professional or artist, and concludes with an art making activity. As a part of their experience, the cohort will also have the opportunity to visit the Cleveland Museum of Art for an exclusive viewing of its special collection of prints. Each student will received a stipend for the completion of the program as well as a opportunity to show your work in a gallery.

People gathered around a table with various objects, including bottles, papers, and art supplies, in a room with lockers and artwork on the wall.
  • Group of nine people standing in front of a red informational wall, smiling and posing for a photo. The wall has text about Karamu Artists Inc. and historical information.

  • A group of people gathered around a table in a workshop, looking at various paper and art supplies. The table has several art tools and bottles. The background shows locker cabinets, clothing hanging on a rack, and a clock on the wall.

  • A young woman with glasses and colorful beads around her neck is drawing a detailed design on a piece of paper with a purple marker. She is sitting at a table in a room that appears to be a classroom or workshop, with paper, markers, and other art supplies scattered on the table.

  • A classroom or workshop setting with diverse students seated at tables listening to a woman speaker at the front. The woman is wearing glasses, a green headscarf, and a striped shirt, gesturing as she speaks. There is a projector screen displaying a quote by Toni Cade Bambara about art and revolution. The walls are decorated with colorful artwork, including portraits, abstract designs, and a bird with roses.

  • A group of diverse children and teenagers are standing together, holding gray and navy sports jerseys with a running figure logo, in an indoor setting with a white and beige wall background.

  • Group of diverse people posing inside an art gallery or historic building with high ceilings, arched windows, and various artwork displayed on the walls.

  • A group of people gathered around a table with artwork or design samples, in a modern indoor space with white walls and wooden floors.

  • A person with colorful hair and a black T-shirt with 'Killer' written on it, standing behind a table with artwork of a woman with long flowing hair and red lips, surrounded by art supplies in a classroom setting.

  • People participating in an art or craft activity at a table in an indoor space, with various supplies including ink, brushes, and paper, and others working in the background.

  • People at an art booth with colorful posters and artwork on display, inside a gallery or event space. A woman in black attire and sneakers with colorful accents is smiling and talking to someone at the booth, with two men nearby.

Video credits to Liaison Media

If you are interested in funding youth education programs such as Pressing Matters, please email Executive Director Jackie Feldman jfeldman@zygotepress.org‍ ‍