The Printers' Ball: July 31, 2009

Get ready for the fifth annual Printers' Ball, the completely free, open-to-the-public print festival taking place this coming weekend.

What is The Printers' Ball, you ask?

Officially, The Printers’ Ball is "one of the largest celebrations of print culture in the country," which in my fantasy includes people wandering around wearing ink-stained paper dresses and tuxedos. Apparently that's not far from the truth. The organizers—folks at Poetry magazine, Columbia College Chicago and the Center for Book & Paper Arts--tell me there will be an origami ball gown made of recycled magazines, poet-trees, paper statuary and lots of activities that "take print back to its roots". In short, it's a paper-lover's paradise.

Come on down and get your hands dirty making paper and rubber stamps, or stay clean and watch book binding, letterpress, silkscreen and offset printing demonstrations. Lazy bones are invited to sit around and drink microbrew beer at readings sponsored by the participating publications.

Find out more about it and watch some sneak peak preview video at The Chicago Poetry Calendar.

Check back next week for a report and pictures from the field.

Details:

The Printers’ Ball (not to be confused with the Printer’s Row Lit Fest)
Friday July 31
5:00 to 11:00 pm
Columbia College of Chicago - Center for Book & Paper Arts
Ludington Building
1104 South Wabash Avenue
Chicago