In 2016 Julia Murphy and Cathryn Carkhuff met each other doing community work. We dreamed of a space in Chico where youth could have access to art and printing as a way to find their voice and power, print their own creations, and share them with their communities. Pedal Press was born as a first step, a way to bring participatory printing to Chico. We did workshops for youth and we partnered with our friends and brought live silk-screening to tons of events.
With strategic help and input from Stefanie Prado (Huarache Press), we became a 501(c)3 certified non-profit organization in 2020. This, along with getting a studio space in 2021, made it possible to work directly with district and charter schools to teach screen printing and other print- and art-making processes to local youth.
From our humble DIY beginnings, we continue to grow and form new relationships in the community; to imagine new ways of connecting and communicating; and to shape the tools together that will build the world we carry in our hearts.
Want to know more? Listen to the Screenprintmag.com Pedal Press interview, conducted by screen printing legend Andy MacDougall.
