Photos from my internship at the EFA Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop (RBPMW).
The first thing every intern and I had to get used to doing at the studio was picking up the phone and swiftly saying, "Hi, this is 'PBPMW', how may I help you?" without getting our tongues wrapped in a knot. Try it yourself like a fast-talking New Yorker.
There is a unique of magic happens in a cooperative, shared studio space. In 2025 spring and early summer, I had the wonderful chance to intern as the teaching assistant at the RBPMW, whose mission support artists of all stages and of diverse backgrounds. I've always believed that making art should emerge from everyday living, and working there immersed me in a daily rhythms of bustlingly creative community. My job there was to prepare materials and tools before each workshop, clean up afterwards, and help out the teaching artists during those workshops. Outside workshops, I helped with the studio administration. There is a quiet satisfaction in preparing a space so that the students' or participants' imagination can safely unfold. I love how the classes there focus on printmaking skills and process; it was a wonderful experience to help students develop both their command of the medium and their own distinct visual language.
One of the greatest joys was the opportunity to learn and experiment alongside the students, an appreciated process that was encouraged throughout the internship.
I always enjoy learning new techniques and expanding my toolkit as a multidisciplinary artist. Previously, in a weekend class in Taipei, I explored mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock printing), carving blocks that visualized my everyday experience of walking to the mailbox in my hometown. Being at RBPMW expanded my curiosity into even more techniques, from screen printing and riso to photopolymer and etching
This internship experience ended with a sense of gratitude—reminding me that the act of making is rarely solitary, but is supported by collective curiosity and a creative community.









