In 2024, i accepted a residency with the university of michigan musical society and the university of michigan-flint. the ums flint artist-in-residence program is a generous residency for Flint-based artists that provides $10,000 in salary and $10,000 for supplies related to creating work and executing a closing experience to showcase the work created during the residency. For my residency, I focused on community engagement through large-scale relief printmaking.

in 2025, most of my studio time was dedicated to one project — both making a piece of art and organizing the event to print it.

On may 10, 2025, we had a [wood] block party in downtown flint, michigan. I invited 22 of my closest collaborators and friends to create large-scale woodcuts with me and print them using an asphalt roller as a public program to draw attention to relationships between art and community. months of planning, preparation and working together culminated in one good day in the sun— printing for the public and working with and for one another.

‘screaming birds’ was 30”x96” — that’s right, eight feet of cherry wood. it took a team of several people to move the block, ink it, and print it. it is the largest woodcut i have ever carved.

afterwards, i made a few smaller letterpress prints and took a lot of naps.