About Us

Christeen Francis completed her BFA at NSCADU, spent nine years in New York City, and returned to her hometown of Montreal to complete her MFA at Concordia University. A printmaker and musician, she ran a print shop in Brooklyn and played in several bands. She is committed to social and political print that engages with local communities and the public at large. She has exhibited in Canada, the United States, Germany, and Iceland and is a member of the Justseeds Artist Cooperative. Her research interests include the right to the city, urban wildlife and wild spaces, and the homogenization of cities and culture.

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Christeen has admired SMP from afar for a long time but only recently visited and fell in love with the place and the members. As the new ED, Christeen is passionate about getting more people in the shop on a regular basis, seeing people try printmaking for the first time, as well as seeing how SMP can grow and transform as an ARC.

Andrew Testa is an artist, writer, and educator working through prints, drawings, books, words, and installations. He has been awarded SSHRC and the Elizabeth Greenshields grants for his research, has exhibited nationally and internationally (UK and USA), and has participated in residencies and conferences across Canada. Currently he is working towards a new body of work for a solo exhibition at SNAP (Edmonton, AB) and group exhibitions at Modern Fuel (Kingston, ON) and Eastern Edge (St. John’s, NL) in 2021 that have been awarded a VP Grenfell Campus Research Fund. Testa is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor in printmaking at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and has additionally taught at Thompson Rivers University (Kamloops, BC), and Algoma University (Sault Ste. Marie, ON). He completed his MFA and BFA at York University (Toronto, ON).

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Printmaking, for me, is inherently about the idea of working ‘with’…whether that ‘with’ is material, process, spaces, or others. To print is to be a part of something that extends beyond the self, bringing awareness to the sense of community that cannot be separated from printmaking. By working with SMP, I have the opportunity to celebrate and support this community…the materials, the processes, the spaces, and the people. With SMP, I get to participate in one of the most vibrant and exiting print communities I have had the pleasure to be a part of!

instagram: @andrewtestaart, headshot by Lucas Morneau

Lily Taylor is an illustrator and designer based in St. John’s, NL. She graduated from OCAD University with a BDes in Illustration and a minor in printmaking. Her work consists of drawings, paintings, murals, screen printing and structural forms. Lily is an avid print maker and loves to be involved with local arts organizations. She’s on the board of SMP to learn from fellow artists and organizers, and to offer support and involvement in making the print shop a functioning and welcoming space.

Marlies Rise is the Director of Strategic Institutional Research Initiatives (SIRI) at Memorial University.  In addition, she is currently enrolled as a BFA student (Major in Print Media) at Concordia University.  As a Senior Administrator at Memorial, Marlies leads and manages initiatives in the Vice-President Research portfolio to facilitate services in support of the institution’s growing research activity. She is responsible for oversight of Memorial’s core instrumentation network which includes approximately $60M in infrastructure, and over 30 highly skilled research associates. Marliesfirst became interested in printmaking by attending a workshop at SMP nearly a decade ago, and has sought to engage with artists and learning opportunities at SMP since.  The aspects she values most about print are strength of community, inclusivity and collaboration in the practice.  She hopes that her growing experience as an artist, combined with her career experience in fundraising and management of communal infrastructure, will enable her to offer a unique perspective on the activities of artist run studios towards benefiting the mandate of SMP.  

James Stenson is a multidisciplinary artist focusing primarily in ceramics, and more recently in printmaking. He has a background in both carpentry and design, continuously striving to incorporate a variety of non-traditional approaches into his practice. He is inspired by the art found in his Slavic roots, as well as his significant time spent living and working throughout rural Canada. 

He has worked as a ceramics educator through The Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador as well as privately, with his work being shown in various galleries throughout the province and on virtual platforms. His functional art can be found living in the hands and homes of various individuals throughout the world. 

He is actively involved in the local arts community, working towards interdisciplinary collaboration between local craftspeople and artisans. He can regularly be found at local craft markets throughout the city and attending as many workshops as time allows. With experience in various community studios and communal building spaces, James works to inspire participation in those from outside the existing community.

When not making art, James drives a Zamboni and spends afternoons hiking with his dogs, Rocket and Hector. 

@witsendceramics 

Drew Pardy is a multi-disciplinary artist working through installations, performance, textiles and social engagement. She received her BFA in 2019 from Grenfell Campus, Memorial University and is currently based in St. John’s, NL. Pardy has exhibited her work provincially and internationally at venues such as Grenfell Art Gallery, the Tina Dolter Gallery, and PULP Gallery in Corner Brook, NL; St. Michael’s Printshop in St John’s, NL; and Gatehouse Arts in Harlow, England.

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My practice explores the importance of taking care — of our human connections, of the places we occupy, and of the material objects we encounter. This exploration of relationships is often rooted in community and site-specific histories, where roaming, rambling, crafting, and collaborating are all a part of the creation of positive social spaces. With community-engaged and friendship as method practices, I strive to form sustainable community bonds. The collaborative, generative community of SMP wraps all of these practices into one sweet little printshop on the waterfront!

Diana Daly is a multi-instrumentalist, performer, designer, storyteller and songwriter, production manager and arts administrator. Originally from St.John’s, NL  she has lived and worked in BC, Montréal and Nunavik and is currently the Managing Producer of the St.John’s International CircusFest with Wonderbolt Productions. A lover of story through song, image, dance and spectacle, Diana has a keen interest in printmaking and Ethnomusicology. The medium of printmaking has always fascinated her for its magical elements and immediate graphic impact. HOW it is made is as exciting as the image itself. Creating image and texture in negative space. Diana is happy to devote time to this important cultural space and hopes that it continues to foster creation and camaraderie for artists in all stages of their careers. 

Patrick Power is an associate lawyer in the St. John’s office of Cox & Palmer. While Patrick is well-versed in the law, leadership, and all things sports, this is his first role in the arts community. Patrick is excited about his experience with the board already and is eager to help attract new members and promote SMP as a valuable member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts community.  When he isn’t acting as a lawyer or SMP board member, Patrick enjoys running, cycling, golfing, and playing hockey.

Elijah Garrard (he/they) is an artist and storyteller with an academic background in Latin American Studies, visual arts, and film. Elijah’s award-winning work brings a narrative lens to his eclectic, curiosity-fueled practice, which includes printmaking (collagraph, linocut, and screen printing), drawing, zines, comics, mask-making, and tattoo design. His thematic interests include folklore, inheritance, cultural ephemera, queerness, and historical Jewish understandings of the unseen world. Elijah is originally from Seattle, but comes to Newfoundland by way of Argentina, Turkey, Mexico, and Mongolia. Currently based in St. John’s, he can often be found running zine exchanges in-person or online, loitering at SMP events, or scavenging for recyclable art supplies. 

Karen Ann Pink (@kafpink) of Partridgeberry Press, is an interdisciplinary artist with a focus on experimental printmaking, digital/audio interactive collage, and watercolour painting. They are settled in Katalisk / Codroy Valley, on the southwest coast of NL, with a background in Visual Arts from Grenfell Campus, Memorial University. Karen began showing their work professionally in 2018, most recently in group exhibitions including The Little Connections House with The Little House Gallery at Grenfell Campus, and Western Newfoundland: People, Landscape, Culture at the Tina Dolter Gallery, Rotary Arts Centre. They completed residencies with the FARR Program at Eastern Edge Gallery and St. Michael’s Printshop.

My practice is community-driven, and heavily influenced by being a parent-artist: this informs how and when I work, the space and materials I use, and what I create – often soft, small, interactive works. Both create opportunities for organic collaborations— intentional or otherwise. I seek out and explore connections within both rural and urban spaces, and examine the idea of “home” as community, as nature, as feeling. As a parent of three, I feel that children should be immersed in the arts, and arts spaces from infancy. Being on the Board at St. Michael’s allows me to be a part of a welcoming community that has these collaborative efforts at its core and that prioritizes safe and supportive practices for its membership and community!