My goal is to turn my bike into a mobile print studio and provide a free resource of handmade block prints and postcards as a way to help the D.C. community stay connected during socially distant and technology driven times.

In the midst of the pandemic there’s been a huge reliance on parks, green spaces, and community gardens. In between family Facetime dinners, phone calls, and Zoom birthday celebrations, the afternoon walk or physically distant outdoor meet-up with friends has become an important way to try to feel “normal”.

So where does The Block Print Bike fit in? With the basket packed with all necessary supplies, I’d set up a printmaking picnic in a designated park, make prints and postcards from carved rubber blocks on site, and hang them out for people to either grab and take home or send along to someone they love—ensuring a safe, physically distant way to share art. The Block Print Bike would therefore encourage people to escape from screens in the confines of the living room, and instead connect in a more tangible way again.

The bike itself will play an essential role in branding and marketing the project and reaching various locations around D.C.. Considering the fact that rules and regulations may change in the coming months, the project could potentially add more of a community engagement aspect in the future i.e. letting people make their own print and be more involved in the actual art making process or partnering with local farms and gardens to spread awareness of city resources.