Collective Marks: Six Years of Print Jam

Roll on over to SPACE Gallery to view Collective Marks: Six Years of Print Jam. Political, beautiful, and fun, these oversized works represent 100-plus artists from Portland’s printmaking community. The show is a long-awaited exhibition and fundraiser to support the beloved asphalt-roller block-printing community event, Steamy Summer Print Jam (‘Print Jam’) put on by Running With Scissors Art Studios (RWS). This exhibition is the first to survey the prints and bring multiple years of the project together in one viewing experience.

Artist whose work is on display includes Pickwick Press, Pilar Nadal, Daniel Minter, David Wolfe, Jo Tatlock, Carter Shappy, Kate Anker, circling the square, the art departments at UMaine, MECA&D, and USM, Jenny Ibsen, Allison McKeen, Hannah Hermes, Jaime Wing, Anna O’Sullivan, Doug Von Werrsowetz, Lucy Ericson, Nate Beasley, Flynn Costello, Andy Jones, Norajean Ferris, Delaney Burns, Jonathan Bishop, and the many Print Jam event print assistants over the years.

A pop-up artist market will also be held on March 7, 2025 from 5-8 pm during the First Friday Art Walk.

Print Jam was established in 2016 as a way to invite the public to experience pulling prints and to build camaraderie within the greater print community. Studio lore has it that the event was started by Carter Shappy and Kate Anker as a project for the new Print Shop intern—little did they know how intense it would be to make 4×8’ prints in the parking lot with a three-ton asphalt roller. It took a two-year hiatus during the height of the pandemic and made a safe return in 2022. The event has been running annually ever since. 

Running With Scissors Art Studios is a 16,000-sq. foot closed-door maker-space in the East Bayside neighborhood of Portland, ME. RWS is a community where members share equipment, ideas, tools, and support. Featuring clay, print, and wood departments, facilities include private studios, associate workspaces, and communal areas. The studios serve over 80 artists and craftspeople working in a wide range of media with varying degrees of education and experience. All members have 24/7 access to the studios. 

RWS is owned and directed by Kate Anker who has been a member since 2006. Though it is a registered LLC, the business has a heavy social bottom line. That bottom line is the point. Studio tours and meetings are available by invitation, appointment, and during community events. Carter Shappy is a RWS artist member, the RWS Print Shop and Wood Shop Manager and the 3Ton Asphalt roller driver during Print Jam. Find his work at studioshappy.com.

Visit rwsartstudios.com and follow @rwsartstudios on Instagram to connect. RWS celebrates its 22nd anniversary in 2025.