Internship Program – Flower City Arts Center

My Favorite Things About Risograph Printing!

There are lots of exciting things to try at Flower City Arts Center. As the photography and digital art intern this summer, I got to get a taste of the facilities offered here. One hidden gem of Flower City is the Risograph Printer. I was lucky enough to be able to play around with the printer and create a few designs, and I fell in love!

What is Riso printing?

For those who don’t know, the risograph pringint process is sgjhimilar to screen printing. Your original image is scanned on the Riso and burned onto a “master copy” which is then wrapped around a print drum which pushes ink through the screen and onto paper.

Here is why printing on the Riso is so unique:

Color

The riso printer is a wet ink process that uses bright ink to create delightful color on the page. Because each ink color is printed separately, the overlap of inks creates interesting color layering. Adding colored paper changes how color appears as well. Flower City currently offers 7 ink colors which is more than enough to create bright, beautiful work!

Texture

Part of the charm of the Riso printer is its uniqueness. Because of the printing process, ink coverage can vary to create an interesting speckled-like texture. No two prints are exactly the same and it gives the prints the feeling that there was a human hand creating them. As always, texture of paper can add a new element to the print that is accentuated on the Riso.

Versatility

With the Riso, the sky is the limit! Digital files, drawings and photography can be easily translated and printed through the Riso. That is why it is a favorite among graphic artists, designers and photographers alike!

Ease

I am no technology wiz, so when I was I would be printing on the Riso I was intimidated. But, to my surprise the process was extremely intuitive and easier than I had ever thought. Once you get a sense of how the process is executed, it is easy to get comfortable.

Learn More

Come on down and jam to some Lizzo while printing on the Riso!

If you are interested in learning about this process or getting a chance to use the machine check our upcoming Riso Projects Class and our Intro To Riso Workshops!

Click here to learn more about the photography and digital art facilities!

Intern Introduction: Riley Donahue

Hello there! My name is Riley Donahue and I am a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I am currently studying Visual Communication. Much of my artistic interest lies in digital art and bookmaking. I also dabble in photography and painting. In the future I would love to work in Marketing.

When I am not at Flower City, I work at a summer camp with children ages 3-5. I really enjoy getting to share crafts with them and bask in their natural creativity! In my free time I am an avid traveler returned from a trip to Peru just before the start of my internship. I love getting to experience new cultures and draw inspiration from beautiful places. I am a also huge fan of hiking and being in the outdoors, preferably alongside my 4 dogs.

This summer I hope to be able to improve my digital art skills as well as branch out and try new mediums or techniques. So far I have helped out with Flower City’s Photo Garage Sale which has given me great real-world experience and given me the chance to come face to face with many of the people who support this wonderful place! I am so grateful for this opportunity and cannot wait to do more!

My art Instagram is @rdonahuedesigns.

Intern Introduction: Jade Hansen

Photograph from my Era Renaissance project, 2019.

Hello! My name is Jade Hansen and I am a student at Eastern Monroe Career Center enrolled in their photography/visual communication program. As it is my senior year of high school my EMCC program gives us the opportunity to intern at a place in our future field. I have been taking classes here at Flower City Arts Center almost every summer since I was little, and was fortunate enough to be able to intern here! My personal interests in photography lay mostly in the realm of portraiture and nature, as well as an interest in film and other analog processes. I do also do some graphic work both digitally and traditionally. I love drawing assorted ghoulish things!

Risographs printed today from my Creepy House illustration.

Aside from my interests in the art world, I enjoy collecting bones and dead insects (I’m a HUGE fan of bees), and I have two cats that I love very much! My internship started last Monday and so far we have been exploring the new Riso printer (creating a swatch book of the colors and experimenting) I am defiantly enjoying it so far! If you are interested in seeing any of my work, my instagram handles are @thecoffinismoving (photography) and, @artghoulz (all other non photography art). I am looking forward to learning new things and creating here! -Jade

Intern Farewell: Zubair Aziz

As the start of the school year approaches, it’s my last day as an intern at the Flower City Arts Center. It’s been a great experience to be able to work at a non-profit organization that benefits the Rochester community. The projects I’ve worked on these past two months have been really fun.

I remember my first week here, I was given the task to design postcards to promote our lighting studio and community darkroom. Having the amount of freedom to work independently on these design projects have really helped me with honing not only my design skills, but also my ability to plan out different stages of the projects and managing my time to complete these tasks.

Aside from that I also got to work on various design projects to be put up in the building itself, such as labels for all the doors, vinyl designs for directions, and posters for the digital labs.

Of course, working on other various projects around the building have been great too. Other things that I’ve done during my time here include reorganizing and cataloging items in the storage room, hanging up a display of the Studio 678 book covers, and doing research for sending out call for entry listings for our juried exhibition, Family Photographs.

My final project: Wintercraft 2018 poster, option 1

As a final note, I’m really grateful to have interned for the Flower City Arts Center. Meeting and working with all the staff here was also amazing, I would not have had the experiences, nor learned as much as I did had it not been for the staff that has helped guide me during my time here. Despite my time here being fairly short, I’ve enjoyed it very well. I hope that the Flower City Arts Center continues to thrive and continue their amazing work in Rochester. It truly is a great place that gives a lot to the community, and I’m glad to have been a part of it, even for just a short while.

Intern Farewell: DesRee Taylor

Photo of me working on images for the website

It’s hard to believe the end of August is almost here and that my time at Flower City Arts Center is almost over. Reflecting on my time here, I have learned so much and had many great experiences. While I was here I kept a log of what I did everyday, and looking at it now there are a few projects and experiences that really stand out to me.

Photo of the Images I hung by the film drying station

One of my favorite projects of the entire summer was one of the first things I did, and that was reorganizing and archiving the class files. While that may sound painfully boring to many, I really enjoyed it and it was an important experience for me as a museum studies student as I think it helped me realize what type of work I’d like to do in the future. The other experience that stood out to me was being able to join the Studio Photography for Teens class on their field trip to the George Eastman Museum. I had the opportunity to meet David Levinthal and hear him speak about his own work as well as his process. I was also able to work with some of the artists in residence here and be present on the Flower City Arts Center’s social media. One experience that combined these things was when I was able to be a part of the live Instagram interview with AIR Megan May. Of course, these were not the only experiences that left an impression on me; everything I did here taught me something.

Photo I took during the field trip to the George Eastman Museum

Without Flower City Arts Center and the amazing staff here, I would not have had any of these experiences or opportunities and I am so grateful for the time that I have spent here. From the youth program, to the artist in residency program, to the internship program, and everything else this center has to offer, Flower City Arts Center is a unique part of the Rochester community and I am thankful that I was able to be a part of it for these past three months. I value the time that I have spent here so much, and I hope that my departure isn’t a “goodbye” and is more of a “see ya later”.

Photo of me with AIR Megan May after her live Instagram interview

Join us July 18th on Instagram LIVE!

Join us tomorrow afternoon, July 18th, at 3pm for a LIVE video interview with AIR Megan May! Intern DesRee Taylor and I will be taking over the Center’s Instagram account (@rochesterarts) to share May’s process and to give you all a sneak peek of her upcoming class Superheroes, Archetypes, and Idols: Reimagining Feminine Role Models Through Self-Portraiture.

Intern Introduction: Zubair Aziz

Zubair Aziz

Hi everyone, I’m Zubair Aziz, an intern for the Photography and Digital Arts Department this summer. I’m from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and I go to the University of Rochester, studying Computer Science and Economics with a cluster in Studio Arts. I’m hoping to start a career as a full-stack web developer after graduation.

On campus, I’m involved in a few organizations such as Grass Roots Soccer, a health organization that leverages the power of soccer to educate and inspire children to live healthier lives, and Alpha Kappa Psi, the professional business fraternity.

In my free time I like to paint and take photos, where nature/wildlife scenes are usually my topic of interest. Aside from that, I’m really into indie alternative or folk music.

This summer, I’m hoping to get a lot of experience working with many different talented artists and improving my photography and design skills. As an upcoming web and app developer, these skills will surely benefit me in one way or another. I can’t wait to meet everyone and engage with the community while I’m here.

Intern Introduction: DesRee Taylor

Hello all! I am an intern here in the Photography & Digital Arts department for the summer. I am a student at SUNY Brockport and I’ll be starting my junior year in the fall. I am a double major in art, with a concentration in photography, and anthropology; I also have a minor in museum studies and public history. In my personal work I am very inspired by the supernatural and witchcraft. I’m a dedicated student, but I also have two jobs and a few hobbies like reading tarot cards, watching the bachelor and growing plants.

As for what I’ll be up to here and my goals as an intern, there are quite a few things I’m looking forward to. Some of the projects I am working on include being present here on the blog, taking photos to help update the website, helping with event publicity, archiving and organizing files, and odd projects around the building. As an intern there are many things I look forward to learning, of course experience is important, but a museum studies student, there are many things that I can learn by being here that I could not else where. Arts centers are great and they play unique roles in their communities.

I’ve had a great time being here so far and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store!