Them nutty UW-Stout art students are at it again today, doing all sorts of cool stuff. Check it out:

A steamroller, the type used in road paving, will be brought to campus for large-scale, wood block printing.

Students from Printmaking 217 have been assigned a large-format project. Prints ranging in size from 4-feet-by-4-feet to 4-feet-by-8-feet will be made using a full-size pavement roller as a press.

The event, Under Pressure, will be held on Wednesday, May 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with printmaking lasting until 3 p.m., in parking lot 29, at the southeast corner of 13th Avenue and Third Street E.

“This project breaks down the barriers between the studio, the gallery and the public by taking the process out to the public for everyone to engage in.”

Students and others have carved their original designs into the surface of wood blocks to make the image. By carving out areas that are to be white, the block is then inked and paper or fabric is pressed onto the inked block to create a relief print.

The assignment is designed to get students out of the studio and connect with campus and the community.

“This project breaks down the barriers between the studio, the gallery and the public by taking the process out to the public for everyone to engage in,” said Joseph Velasquez, assistant professor, who teaches printmaking.

Children and families can watch the printmaking and also participate in smaller-scale, hands-on activities, such as T-shirt printing and other projects with university artists.

The area around the steamroller and printing zone will be cordoned off. No hazardous or harmful chemicals will be used.

– UW-Stout Communications