Downtown Laramie will aesthetically transform today to prepare for the Print and Pint event from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Crowbar & Grill, the host venue for the annual event.
The art students and faculty of the University of Wyoming, as a fundraiser designed, the Print and Pint event. To raise funds, UW students have submitted their artwork in print as well as photograph form for event attendees to purchase, all artwork is priced at $10.
When someone buys a piece of artwork they receive a free pint of any beer they choose. The Crowbar & Grill has generously offered the beer incentive for the event. All proceeds go to the art students to build funds. The funds are mainly for those students involved in the artistic medium of printmaking so that they can attend printmaking conferences held later in the spring.
The Print and Pint event began years ago. The venue has changed a few times over the years, but the Crowbar & Grill has consistently provided a fun, family friendly gathering for people to come and enjoy some good food, locally collected artwork and of course the beer.
and that sense of community between the Crowbar & Grill and the UW art community will be enhanced through the Print and Pint event.
Hannah Hughes, intern for printmaking, professor Mark Ritchie and senior undergraduate art student who is currently employed at the Crowbar & Grill collectively said the Crowbar is community oriented with a friendly staff and an inviting space
“The attendees try to tip the staff really well at the end of the night because they work really hard,” Hughes said.
Along with the fundraising aspect other benefits also exist. The student artists whose prints are being sold and the members of the Laramie community who attend the event are amerced in a celebration of community. Artists can bring attention to their work, which gives them the opportunity to spread their individual artistic talents.
“Printmaking isn’t a cheap process, and artists put a lot of work into these pieces for people to see. You pay ten dollars for a print and you get beer, that’s a pretty good deal,” Hughes said.
The conference trips being funded by fundraising include a conference hosted by New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, New Mexico, the Rocky Mountain Print Alliance Symposium hosted by both Washington State University and the University of Idaho, and the Southern Graphics Council International conference with the theme of altered landscapes, which is going to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“You get to show your work and share your portfolios with other students and professors,” Hughes said. “You get introduced to more print-making processes, and you can make connections with people and learn about what different avenues you can take in the art world.”
Many of the prints for purchase will have a sort of autumn-esque aesthetic presence because many of the designs were based from Halloween inspired themes. Join the community celebration from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. and support UW art students and faculty in their journey to attend the conferences in the spring.
