Community Woodcut design
Deadline to submit questions: July 6, 2026
Applications Due: July 10, 2026
Notification of Results: July 31, 2026
Panel is carve-ready at SMP: September 1, 2026, 5:00 PM
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All applicants will be notified of the outcome.
Spots Available: 1
Description
For the 4th edition of Ink Fest, St. Michael’s Printshop invites applications from Newfoundland & Labrador-based artists and designers to pitch their ideas for our beloved community carved woodcut. Each year, Ink Fest culminates in a steamroller printing party where large-scale woodcuts are printed live! The community woodcut brings together members of the public and the local arts community, working side-by-side to carve a design on a large sheet of plywood. Previous designs have been made by Nakita Morris, Pepa Chan, and Elijah Martel.
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The project scope includes:
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Creating a design for a 3 ft x 6 ft sheet of plywood.
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Submitting the design to the Ink Fest Coordinator for final approval. Designs must be aligned with SMP’s code of conduct.
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The artist/designer must provide SMP with the design drawn on the plywood panel in permanent marker, indicating areas to carve/leave alone, by September 1, 2026, 5:00 PM.* SMP will provide the panel, and can provide space & a projector to transfer the design. The artist/designer may complete the design on the panel off-site, but the panel must be delivered to SMP by the above date/time. ​​
a.*If this requirement presents an accessibility barrier to participating, please reach out to SMP (info@stmichaelsprintshop), we would be happy to discuss solutions and accommodations.
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The design will be carved by members of the community, and while the artist/designer is welcome to join in, there is no expectation for them to participate in carving the woodcut.
Compensation:
Artists/Designers will be paid an all-inclusive fee of $400 and receive a complimentary 1-year membership to St. Michael’s Printshop. Payment will be made following the receipt of the work and an invoice.
Eligibility:
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The artist/designer must be a resident of Newfoundland and Labrador.
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No prior experience in printmaking/woodcut is required.
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Collectives are welcome to apply, though please note the $400 fee is all inclusive.
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Previous artists/designers of the community woodcut are not eligible.
SMP encourages applications from members of under-represented communities, including racialized persons: Black, Indigenous, People(s) of Colour (BIPOC); persons with disabilities, persons living with mental illness, and 2SLGBTQIA+ persons.
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Evaluation:
While assessing we consider these aspects of the applications: ​
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Artistic merit
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Clarity of ideas
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Feasibility of Design: Please keep in mind that the design will be carved by hand by people ranging in levels of experience.
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Impact (artistic and career growth)
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The jury is asked to reflect on their implicit biases and prioritize members of under-represented communities. The jury assesses applications based on criteria listed above and within a competitive context.
Submit an Application
All interested artists & designers at any stage in their career are encouraged to email their proposals by July 10, 2026 to info@stmichaelsprintshop.com with the subject line “Ink Fest: Community Woodcut Design Pitch”.
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In your application, please include:
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A Bio (150 words max)
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Artist/Designer Statement (150 words max) - Tell us about your larger practice!
A brief proposal of the imagery and rationale for the proposed design (250 words max). -
A portfolio of previous work (up to 5 JPEG images, 1MB max). 1 image can be a proposal sketch.
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Please address any questions about the above by July 6th, 2026 to info@stmichaelsprintshop.com using the subject line “Ink Fest: Community Woodcut Design Questions.”