Mission
Matiz is an artist-run initiative that treats print as shared civic infrastructure.
Working across literature, poetry, photography, illustration, design, and independent publishing, Matiz supports artists and communities in authoring, preserving, and circulating their own visual, literary, and historical records—building pathways for more equitable, community-led cultural futures.
What is "Matiz?"
What is "Matiz?" Inspired by the Spanish word "matiz" (meaning hue, nuance, and complexity). Matiz Press is a platform for print that makes meaning reachable, across a breadth of perspectives.
Art & Design
We introduce artists, educators, cultural workers, and community members—particularly those who may not typically engage with indie publishing or print—to these practices. In doing so, we aim to dissolve rigid boundaries between disciplines, allowing them to intersect.
This work includes experimentation with both the content and form of indie publishing, operating along the porous edge between the zine and the artist book.
Learning & Access
Learning is foundational to Matiz’s work. Grounded in pedagogical practices that value accessibility and critical inquiry, we treat print as both a learning tool and a mode of exchange.
By prioritizing access, we reverse the hegemony of information. The public no longer needs to enter a museum, academic space, or institution to encounter meaning.
Through collaborative publishing, skill-shares, and public programs, Matiz creates accessible entry points into printmaking and independent publishing, supporting artists and communities in articulating and circulating their own ideas and cultural narratives.
Cultural Stewardship
The distribution of print ephemera inherently creates conditions for connection. Through circulation, we create opportunities to promote cultural production across communities.
Matiz Press approaches publishing as cultural stewardship: the care, preservation, and ethical circulation of stories, images, and knowledge.
Matiz prioritizes publishing as offering an affordable entry point for people to participate in shaping culture, rather than merely consuming it.
How We Work with People and Organizations
Matiz Press partners with artists and community organizations through collaborative workshops, public programs, and co-created print projects.
We typically work with:
- Artists and educators interested in learning risograph or using it in their teaching and artmaking.
- Community organizations and schools seeking engaging, hands-on programs that connect printmaking with themes like identity, storytelling, social justice, or youth voice.
- Grassroots groups and cultural spaces who want to use print as a medium for civic engagement or public dialogue.
How Collaborators Are Chosen
We prioritize collaborators whose values align with our mission. Some partnerships are initiated through open calls or applications, while others emerge through conversation. We seek out partnerships that:
- Support underserved or historically marginalized communities
- Center cultural knowledge, lived experience, and collective storytelling
- Encourage accessible, inclusive learning environments
- Allow space for process, reflection, and shared authorship
While we’re a small operation, we’re always open to building with those who see print as more than a product.
