Getting to Know: S/ART/Q's Annual Print Party

 Party!: S/ART/Q will hold their 4th annual Print Party this weekend at Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center. As in the past, S/ART/Q members have each created a screen and, for $5, will silkscreen their work onto any item that can lie flat including t-shirts, handbags and dog clothes.

What goes into a screen?: “I debated for weeks about what I wanted to create and came to the realization that the ultimate goal for me with this particular event is to raise funds to offset S/ART/Q's expenses for the SELECT Art Fair,” says artist and S/ART/Q co-founder Tim Jaeger. “Therefore I created something that is agreeable --- something that just about anyone would feel comfortable wearing. There are so many purposes that a t-shirt can serve besides protection from the elements, whether it is something that promotes or educates or decorates, and in the end I went for something a little safer. I went with the chicken, which has been the subject of my work for a while now, and I am happy with how it came out.”

S/ART/Q goes to SELECT: SELECT Art Fair presents progressive and cutting-edge work from established and emerging artists, galleries, and collectives during Art Basel weekend in Miami Beach (Dec. 6 - 9). Becoming a part of SELECT has been another step towards the world art stage for S/ART/Q and a step, Jaeger explains, that will hopefully support the Sarasota arts scene.

“It all started by the SELECT Art Fair inviting us to exhibit at Basel, and after some discussion within the group, we decided that this was something that we wanted to do. We felt, and feel now, that it is time for this group to take some of what we have been doing locally onto the world art scene, and hopefully that will be received in a positive light not only for each artist and S/ART/Q, but also for Sarasota and its cultural reputation.”

Fogartyville and S/ART/Q: The new location of the Print Party at Foagartyville Community Media and Arts Center provides a central and larger location for the event, as well as an opportunity for collaboration between two organizations with complementary missions. The last Print Party in September of 2011 hosted nearly 2,000 attendees, and S/ART/Q and Fogartyville are expecting this year’s Print Party to have an even larger crowd. In addition to expanding the event to Saturday and Sunday they are also adding food vendors, activities for children and music.

“We are very appreciative of the offers we received from other non-profits and businesses,” Jaeger says, “however, we felt the Fogartyville location is one of the best centrally-located, convenient venues downtown for something like this. With the amount of attendees we have had in the previous years and response from our community and media, it is likely that this year will be one of our biggest yet, and we feel fortunate that this event will put bodies into a place where art, culture and music collide.”

 The S/ART/Q 4th annual Print Party takes place on Saturday, Sept. 22 from 5 to 10 p.m., and Sunday Sept. 23 from 12 to 4 p.m. at Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center (525 Kumquat Ct., Sarasota). The event is free. Screen printing is $5 per item. Attendees are encouraged to bring anything and everything that can lie flat for screenprinting, and blank t-shirts will be available for purchase.

- Video of last year's Print Party by McFadden Creative.