The Marshall University Visual Arts Center offered The Collaborative workshop this semester for sixth to eighth grade students.

The art classes are from 10 a.m. to noon for the next three Saturdays.

This spring, students will make hand made accordion books in a printmaking class.

Printmaking starts with an artist creating art on a printing plate. Using the printing plate, the artist can transfer the image onto another piece of art.

Maribea Barnes, associate professor of art education, said the participants will learn the printmaking process.

“They’re going to learn how to transfer the illustrations to a printing plate to complete what would be called a released print and then going to do test prints and series of prints that will be hand colored,” Barnes said.

An accordion book is made of paper folds. In each fold there is a page of the book.

“The accordion will be of their dreams and aspirations,” Barnes said. “This Saturday we’re going to start with printmaking and eventually they will be constructing that book on the last day.”

Even though the class started Saturday, Barnes said students could join after the first week because they are just going over the basics.

Last semester had 18 students attended and up to 20 students are expected this semester.

The program is new to Marshall and is supported by a Hedrick Grant for Teaching Innovation.

Matthew Prandoni can be contacted at [email protected].