Storytelling has many forms. Printmaker Allyn Guerra shares stories through ink, and she plans to bring those stories to Herrick District Library this summer. Allyn will serve as the library’s Maker-in-Residence through July and August in Groundworks at the Main Library, 300 S. River Ave.
Educated for five years at the National Autonomous University of Mexico City, Allyn’s work began with a solid grounding in theory. Her passion for printmaking evolved over time and before she knew it, what began in her basement studio grew into a professional atelier in the Tanglewood Studio of Grand Rapids.
Alynn’s first press was made from a washing machine wringer, created at a time when she did not think she would be able to sustain herself as a professional artist. A friend invited her to sell her work at events, which led her to enter a regional festival where she won a printmaking award. Others were drawn to her work, and she was asked to mentor high school students and teach classes at ArtWorks in Grand Rapids. Not long afterward, her studio Red Hydrant Press was invited to join the Tanglewood Collective.
“Sometimes there isn’t a straight line from where you thought you would be to where you end up,” Alynn says. “Sometimes the line is a zig zag.”
Alynn looks forward to building on her experiences of both being mentored and mentoring others by serving as HDL’s maker this summer. She finds printmaking is expressive and easy to read, not as nuanced as some artistic mediums. Alynn's goal for her HDL residency is to introduce library users to a technique she considers both fun and approachable. “The most expensive thing is your material,” she states, “but that material lasts a long time. People will get introduced to printmaking at the library and will hopefully be inspired to continue creating prints at home.”
Alynn’s art will be featured on HDL’s walls during her residency, showcasing narratives inspired by nature and Mexican culture. Some of her work features serious stories such as climate change or genetic modification but even in dark subjects her work displays a sense of light and hope – a tension that creates dialog. Some stories are silly, such as skeletons playing with a dog or riding a bike.
In addition to viewing her finished art, library users will have the chance to watch Alynn at work in six different drop-in sessions between July 12 and August 20 with dates and times listed at herrickdl.org. Alynn will also offer two printmaking workshops, one for kids on July 24 at 2:00 p.m. and the other for adults and teens on August 7 at 5:30 p.m. Each workshop is two hours long and both require advance registration at herrickdl.org/events.