Cyanotype Sun Prints: Sustainable Art Made with Sunlight
Celebrate Paul Bunyan Day with Art of the Parade in a hands-on sustainable art workshop exploring cyanotype sun printing, folklore and creative reuse.
Recommended for ages 10 and up. Family participation encouraged.
As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, we'll look at the role folklore has played in American culture through the legendary tales of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. For generations, tall tales helped communities share values, explain the world around them and pass stories from one generation to the next. This workshop invites participants into that tradition through art, storytelling and imagination.
Using sunlight, natural materials and found objects, participants will create the Paul Bunyan Folklore Deck, a boxed collection of five handmade cyanotype cards inspired by iconic symbols from the North Woods: The Ox, The Lumberjack, The Forest, The Axe and The Campfire.
Along the way we'll explore sustainable art practices and how artists can transform reused materials into something that matters. Participants will experiment with composition and image-making while learning the cyanotype process, one of the earliest forms of photographic art.
Every participant leaves with a keepsake set of five handcrafted folklore cards in a collector's box, a personal field deck drawn from the myths and adventures of America's great tall tale tradition.
Perfect for creative kids, teens, families and curious adults.
No experience needed. All materials included.
Thanks to the generous support of New Marigny Theatre | Church of the Arts & Sciences, we're able to offer this workshop at a greatly reduced cost. A $10 registration fee reserves your space and helps cover materials. Price includes all taxes and fees.
Optional: Bring Objects to Print
We'll have a variety of natural materials and found objects available for everyone to use, but participants are encouraged to bring a few small items of their own to experiment with.
Interesting objects might include:
Leaves, flowers, ferns, or grasses
Pine needles or small natural treasures
Lace, mesh, or textured fabrics
Small objects that connect to family stories, traditions, or adventures
Objects should be relatively flat and no larger than 5" × 7".
Part of the fun of cyanotype printing is discovering how everyday objects transform into beautiful blue-and-white images in the sunlight.