The Corvallis arts community, and the community in general has lost something great with the upcoming closure of The Merry Inksters’ workshop. Giving back to the city for around a year, The Merry Inksters were a non-profit, mutual benefit corporation organized by a unique group of individuals. Book lovers, artists, binders, print makers, printers and paper makers included, their goal was to create a space for Corvallisites who share an interest in print-related arts. There they could collaborate, access specialized equipment and materials, train with veterans of different disciplines and more. But as of the end of June, this is no more.
Having been announced on the 21st, here are some final words from Inksters guru Ed Rettig: “I am sad to announce that the studio will be closing at the end of this month. When the idea of a print making studio began we were hoping that there were enough people in the community to support such an organization but after a year it has become apparent that this is not the case. I would like to thank everyone who has helped make this project a success, and I think we have had many successes throughout the year.”
Collaborators have until June 30th to complete projects. If anyone has any remaining questions for The Merry Inksters, contact them via themerryinksters@gmail.com.
By Johnny Beaver
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