Arts&life EDITORGINAROGERS | THURSDAY, MARCH 12,2020 | THEVOICE 7 Small press realizes big dreams Erica Wilk of Moniker Press gets creative with local risograph printing = By JACOB HOHEISEL mily Carr grad Erica Wilk is using what was once a popular household, church, and office staple in Japan to print unique works of art. She has a Risograph printer, 1980s Japanese technology, used in the production of original works and publications with local artists and volun- teers through her Moniker Press, based ina studio space in Vancouver. Risographs are printers Erica Wilk that use a sten- OWNER/OPERATOR 4 de f MONIKER PRESS C14. Made Irom a digital scan, which is then wrapped around an ink drum. As the paper runs through the graph printer in Washington, but upgraded to a larger version with less restrictions. The new MZ790 printer wasn’t tied down while being shipped from Edmonton, so Wilk repaired it and learned how to work with the damage restrictions over four years. Moniker Press offers local artists the accessibility to publish and print their materials with volun- teer help. Wilk consults on proj- ects, as well. “Erica is the monopoly for good reason. She knows more about riso- graph printing than most people,” close collaborator and fellow publisher Christian Hernandez said. Hernandez said independent publishing and risograph printing are growing niches. Anna Firth, who runs Swamp- cone Magazine, said “I feel like Moniker Press is a staple in the commu - machine, the [ ,n. « “| nity. All of us soy-based ink Erica 1S the monopoly have probably Tnecly ont | forgoodreason. She | fines some the paper. knows more about participated in It’s this ink . , lk her projects.” on paper risograph printing Firth thetic that - ized risoprintingis | thanmost people.” | cublishing fair known for. — CHRISTIAN HERNANDEZ, DD00GG called Book About six “~ Drop last years ago, Wilk was working on book project called Duality with other artists and writers when she had the idea that it would be cheaper to print and do everything herself in her own studio. “It ended up not being cheaper ... [had to make 400 books by hand, but that’s how it started.” Wilk said she found a RZ220 riso- Saturday for printed matter and small press. The fair featured local talent, including Moniker Press. Wilk recommends anyone inter- ested in starting a business in a creative or artistic field or pursuing art as a career to get out to events, talk to people, network or volunteer to showcase their work. “Tt’s OK to start small,” she said. Bs Ws Swampcone Magazine and Veins + Arterys Book Drop attendees. Close up of risograph prints by Moniker Press. Event banner. PHoTos By JACOB HOHEISEL UNTITLED UBC seed libraries cultivate connections Saving seeds for community gardens at the university allow education program to blossom | |SVEGETABLE.| | SEEDS | Grains | | Dye pos = - BceETABLeE It wi SEEDS. ie \\ Ae UBC seed libraries carry easy-to-cultivate varieties of vegetables and herbs, and the campus li them have collections of reference materials for growers. PHOTO BY DANAUCA DORY Letiuce = By DANAUCA DORY eed libraries have taken root S in UBC, growing into educa- tional resources as seed saving becomes popular in Vancouver. UBC has one of the few seed libraries located in Vancouver, with many students, faculty and residents using them for their own use, includ- ing personal and scholarly. According to UBC’s website, librarians Helen Brown and Wendy Traas started the seed libraries in 2017. A year later, the library reported a 240 per cent increase in borrowing and an influx of seed donations. The vegetable and other seeds are available at two locations on the Vancouver campus. Wendy Traas, an education librar- ian at UBC, said one of the main focuses for the seed gardens is for the Faculty of Education to have addi- tional resources for outdoor educa- tion. "We really wanted to support well- ness and community connections," Traas said. Teacher education student Wen- Ling Liao has been using the seed library to help with her elementary school practicum. Liao believes that the seed saving will help children learn about their community impact. “They can have this sort of expo- sure to be part of the community and then recognizing that their little action can have consequences, really positive consequences on the community,” Liao said. Liao said she enjoys using the seed library and wants more people to know about the resource. UBC is not the only seed library in Vancouver, as the Vancouver Public Library also has a few seed libraries at some of its locations. VanDusen Botanical Garden has a for purchase seed collection store. Gillian Drake, director of educa- tion at VanDusen Botanical Garden, believes more people are saving seeds. “I think as people are becoming more active gardeners and more active in terms of their own personal efforts for environmental activism, I think there is an uptake in seed saving in general,” Drake said. UBC seed libraries are open to the public and Vancouver has 110 community gardens — including one at City Hall — with some plots going to waste and in need of plant- ing.