A Hands-On Art Class in Northampton Where You Leave With Something You Made

Nikki Gardner, a Northampton-based photographer and visual artist, is teaching two hands-on cyanotype printing workshops at Northampton Center for the Arts (33 Hawley St) in November 2026. Session 1 on Sunday, November 1 focuses on cyanotype tote bags. Session 2 on Sunday, November 15 focuses on cyanotype prints on watercolor paper assembled into a handmade zine. Both workshops run 10am–12pm. Cost is $45 per workshop or $75 for both. All materials are included. No prior experience needed. Ages 8 and up welcome. To register, email hello@nikkigardnerstudio.com.

There's a moment in every cyanotype workshop I've ever seen — the moment someone lifts their print out of the rinse water and watches the image appear for the first time — where the room goes quiet. Not awkward quiet. Amazed quiet. The kind where someone says "wait, I made that?" and means it.

That moment is why I'm teaching this November.

If you've been looking for a fun art class to take with a friend, your partner, or your kids on a Sunday morning — this is it. You don't need to know what cyanotype is. You just need two hours and a willingness to make something with your hands.

If you've ever wanted to make art but talked yourself out of it — because you're not trained, because you don't know where to start, because you're not sure you're creative enough — cyanotype is the process that will change your mind. It doesn't ask for skill. It asks for curiosity.

What Is Cyanotype Printing?

Cyanotype is one of the oldest photographic printing processes in the world. It was invented in 1842 — before roll film, before digital cameras, before Instagram. It uses iron-based chemistry and UV light to create striking blue-and-white prints on fabric and paper. You arrange objects on a coated surface, expose it to light, rinse it in water, and watch the image appear.

No camera. No computer. No prior experience. Just you, some botanicals, a little chemistry, and light.

The results are original every single time. No two prints are ever identical. That's not a flaw — that's the whole point.

What We're Making Together This November

I'm teaching two workshops this November at Northampton Center for the Arts, and I designed each one so you leave with a finished piece of art in your hands.

November 1: Cyanotype Tote Bag Workshop

I'll demo how to mix the chemistry and apply the solution so you understand the full process, then you'll arrange your objects — botanicals, feathers, found objects, whatever speaks to you — expose your design under UV light, and rinse your print. The reveal happens right there in the room, and it's genuinely one of the best parts of the whole process. You'll leave with a one-of-a-kind tote bag you made yourself.

November 15: Cyanotype Print and Zine Workshop

I'll walk you through the chemistry and coating process, then you'll use pre-coated watercolor paper to create an original cyanotype print and fold it into a simple handmade zine to take home. If you've never made a zine before, don't worry — the folding takes about two minutes and the result is something you'll actually want to keep.

Who This Workshop Is For

These workshops are for people who want to make something with their hands and aren't sure where to start. They're for photographers who want to explore a process that has nothing to do with a screen. They're for people who loved art as kids and somewhere along the way decided it wasn't for them anymore. They're for parents who want to do something creative with their kids on a Sunday morning. They're for friends looking for something more memorable than brunch. Ages 8 and up are welcome.

You don't need any experience with photography, printmaking, or art. What you need is two hours and a willingness to be surprised by what you make.

Why I Teach This

Cyanotype has been part of my fine art practice for years. My spring 2026 exhibition What Was Held was built entirely around this process — using chemistry, light, and objects to explore memory and what we carry with us. It's quiet work, but it's also deeply satisfying in a way that's hard to describe until you've done it yourself.

Teaching it feels like a natural extension of that. I want more people in this community to have access to a process that is genuinely accessible, genuinely beautiful, and genuinely theirs once they learn it.

Workshop Details and How to Sign Up

Sunday, November 1 — Cyanotype Tote Bag Workshop

Sunday, November 15 — Cyanotype Print and Zine Workshop

Time: 10am–12pm both dates

Location: Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley St, Northampton, MA

Cost: $45 per workshop or $75 for both

Ages: 8 and up welcome

Materials: All included

To register, email hello@nikkigardnerstudio.com. Space is limited to 15 participants per session.

You can also find more details about the workshop at the Northampton Center for the Arts website: https://www.nohoarts.org/cyanotype-workshops

I'd love to see you there!