OUr Programs

Public School
Classes

The Mancos Common Press is committed to sharing the technical and creative experience of letterpress with our area students. We work with art classes in our area schools that incorporate the history of letterpress printing with a practical understanding and application of the letterpress print method.

Each student leaves their class with a piece of printed artwork. Classes are geared to various grade levels.

For the 2019 spring semester we are working with the Mancos RE-6 School district art classes serving 150 3rd-5th grade students, 30 6-8th grade students and 15 senior arts honor students. There is no charge for the school classes.

Community
Classes

The Common Press is offers letterpress classes through the Mancos School of the West to introduce interested community members to the letterpress process and how to combine letterpress techniques with other graphic arts mediums.

Our classes are small, limited to 10 people, so everyone gets hands on experience. Students typically work in pairs to prepare, build a project in the letterpress chase, and finally print their creation. Classes are typically $75.00 for an all-day class and offered monthly.

Registration, when classes are available, is offered on our Community Classes page.

Artist in Residence
Program

MCP provides individual artists access to letterpress type, blocks and historic presses for their creative use. Chosen artist have access to studio and available equipment.

While in residence, artists have focused studio time to make their own work, host an “open studio”, and offer a series of short workshop/classes for the Mancos community including local school groups.  At the end of their residency, artists will curate an exhibition of their work and give a talk. 

The residencies build community engagement and a gallery presence on Grand Avenue in Mancos. A modest rental fee has been established to make sure the studio is accessible to our local artists.