Eighth-grade students at John F. Kennedy Middle School recently explored the art of printmaking in Jamie Bula’s class, guided by student teacher Melanie Acaiturri. The project introduced students to a hands-on artistic process that required careful planning, creativity, and precision.
For this lesson, Acaiturri encouraged students to think critically about their designs, focusing on the importance of negative space. They began by sketching their ideas on paper, ensuring that their final compositions would translate well into stamps.
Once their drawings were finalized, they carefully carved their designs into rubber blocks, creating the negative relief needed for printing. The final step was the most exciting—applying ink to their custom-made stamps and pressing them onto paper, bringing their designs to life.
Acaiturri, who designed this lesson herself, selected printmaking as the focus because it was both accessible and new to the students. “I wanted to introduce students to printmaking because it’s a versatile process that encourages creativity and experimentation,” she said. “By designing and carving their own stamps, they could engage with the material in a hands-on way, gaining a deeper appreciation for the artistic possibilities of printmaking.”
