Ink & Impact
Ink & Impact is an ongoing series that explores the power of print as a tool for civic engagement, community storytelling, and social justice. Through workshops, collaborative publishing projects, and public interventions,Ink & Impactbrings together artists, educators, and organizers to create risograph-printed materials that amplify grassroots movements and urgent social issues. The series centers accessibility, collective authorship, and design as activism—reclaiming print media as a democratic platform for dialogue, resistance, and cultural preservation.
Komically Kids
"Ink & Impact," showcased at the Design Museum of Chicago, was a collaborative project by Miguel Limón, CPSLives Resident for 2023-24, and students from Walter Payton College Prep. The initiative engaged students in exploring Chicago's rich history of print media and the Zine and self-publishing community. Through archival research, photography, and printmaking, students produced posters, zines, flyers, and oral histories, drawing inspiration from historical social movements such as the Black Panthers, Young Lords, and the Chicago Women's Graphic Collective. The project included a risograph workshop and the creation of the "Komically Kids" club to teach screenprinting and risography, addressing contemporary issues like the reduction of gender-neutral bathrooms in schools. The resulting collection of prints highlighted the power of youth in cultural preservation and social activism.
Roots & Ink: Field Day
Roots & Ink: Field Day is a playful, print-based gathering that brings community members together for a day of hands-on creativity, movement, and collective storytelling. Hosted outdoors as part of Night Out in the Parks with the Chicago Park District, the event blends printmaking with field day games, grounding exercises, and memory-sharing activities that honor cultural roots and personal histories. Participants will create collaborative posters and zines that reflect their lived experiences, identities, and hopes for the future—all while building connection through joyful, intergenerational exchange.
Free Printing for Collective Power
As part of Ink & Impact, Matiz Press offers free risograph printing for nonprofits, grassroots collectives, and social justice movements. This initiative supports the creation of posters, flyers, zines, and other printed materials that amplify community voices and drive public action. By removing financial barriers to print access, Ink & Impact ensures that vital messaging—whether for tenant organizing, mutual aid, or cultural advocacy—can be distributed widely, beautifully, and affordably.