Multiples and Mark Making in Printmaking Pedagogy

This presentation examines printmaking as both a pedagogical approach and a community-building practice within an Indigenous-serving institution. Printmaking’s inherent nature as a reproducible medium—the act of making multiples—lends itself to the sharing of stories, the dissemination of knowledge, and the amplification of voices that have often been marginalized or underrepresented. In the classroom, I frame printmaking as a form of visual storytelling and cultural preservation, encouraging students to explore identity, memory, and lived experience through their creative work.

Many of the projects I facilitate center around research-based inquiry and personal reflection, prompting students to draw from their own cultural and familial histories. This introspective process becomes a way to connect not only with oneself, but also with a larger collective experience. Through their prints, students begin to understand their role within a broader continuum of Indigenous resistance, resilience, and resurgence.

Historical narrative plays a central role in this practice. By engaging with Indigenous histories—both the traumatic and the triumphant—students are invited to critically reflect on the past while envisioning futures rooted in cultural continuity and self-determination. Printmaking becomes a method of archiving and retelling these stories in ways that are accessible and impactful, extending the classroom into community spaces.

Ultimately, this work seeks to position printmaking as more than a technical skill; it is a means of cultural transmission, healing, and empowerment. It fosters a sense of belonging and responsibility, reinforcing the power of art as a vehicle for Indigenous pedagogy and community engagement.