First Art Book and Print Fair in Santa Barbara, CA
We are pleased to introduce Off Register: Santa Barbara Art Book and Print Fair. Our inaugural 2024 event, held at the Community Arts Workshop on Saturday, November 16th, brought together over sixty exhibitors from around California and across the country working in a wide range of printmaking practices, ranging from 'zines and artists' books, screen printing, to fine art publishing. We hosted five panel talks and numerous family friendly print activities. With the generous assistance of tireless volunteers we saw over 1850 visitors attended our one day celebration of print!
"Off register," a term that describes when a print job's elements are misaligned or displaced, is organized by a team of local artists and academics passionate about printmaking, publishing, and building a DIY (do-it-yourself) and DIT (do-it-together) community here in Santa Barbara.
In addition to opportunities to meet, converse with, and purchase work from a diverse group of artists and publishers, Off Register will feature hands-on demonstrations of innovative contemporary print techniques, symposium-style panel discussions, and performative readings, alongside a gallery exhibition of printed work embracing the imperfect
READ ABOUT the Inaugural Off Register event in the Santa Barbara Independent
WATCH & READ about Off Register’s Inaugural Event on KEYT News
Listen to a RADIO FEATURE of Off Register on KCLU Santa Barbara NPR affiliate
READ ABOUT the Off Register in the The Current - UCSB
2024 Post-Fair Impression in the Santa Barbara Independent
In the Media •
In the Media •
The Fair Organizers
Off Register: Santa Barbara Art Book & Print Fair is organized by a team of local artist, academics, entrepreneurs and printers. The organization is a fiscally sponsored 501C3 non-profit with an all volunteer board of organizers who are passionate about print!
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![James Van Arsdale]()
James Van Arsdale
Associate Professor of Graphic Art & Design at Santa Barbara City College
James is a designer, artist, musician, and educator living and working in the Santa Barbara area. He received an MFA from the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University and a BFA from the University of Texas at Austin. He has exhibited and performed widely.
Recent projects include Music to My Eyes, Torrance Art Museum and Sink to the Sea, A Gift Carried by the Left Hand, Labile Records.
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Alex Lukas
Associate Professor of Print and Publication at University of California at Santa Barbara
Alex is an artist and educator based out of Santa Barbara, California. He received his MFA from Carnegie Mellon University and his BFA from Rhode Island School of Design. His work has been exhibited widely including at Guerrero Gallery (San Francisco), Zevitas Marcus (Los Angeles), The Luminary (St. Louis), among many others. His work is included in the collections of the Kadist Foundation, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the MIT List Visual Arts Center’s Student Loan Art Collection, the New York Public Library, and the Library of the Museum of Modern Art.
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Kestrel Tseng
Artist, Printer and Owner of Bird in Hand Press
Kestrel is a Canadian-Taiwanese Illustrator, Graphic Designer and Printer. She operates Bird in Hand Press — a Risograph print shop, workshop space, and print focused design studio located in Santa Barbara, CA. She received her BFA from Art Center College of Design. Kestrel is a certified RISO print technician working with RISO Studio Arts. She supports the RISO programs at Santa Barbara City College, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara High School and other educational institutions.
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Madi Manson
Artist, Printer and Owner of Loud Flower Art Co
Madi is a artist, small business owner, and printer who founded Loud Flower Art Co, an emotionally screen printed line of goods. In 2023, she opened 506 E Haley Street with her husband Ben Bishop. 506 is Loud Flower’s screen printing studio along with retail shop, photography and art book gallery and community arts space. She also organizes the Dart Coffee Garden Market, a monthly pop-up maker’s market showcasing local artists and vendors.
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Garrett Gerstenberger
President at Island View Outfitters Owner of High Desert Print Company
Garrett co-founded Island View Outfitters in 2019 while he was a college student at UCSB. Island View Outfitters retails and distributes original silkscreen products. High Desert Print Company provides custom screen printing, embroidery and graphic design services to Santa Barbara County.
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Albert McCartney
Owner & Director of RISO Studio Arts
Albert McCartney moved to Los Angeles from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1985 and has since built a reputation as Southern California’s main source for all things RISO. He has a deep appreciation for artists and art educators, and leverages his business experience to make RISO more accessible to schools, nonprofit organizations and artists on the west coast.
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Jayes Caitlin
Art Specialist & Instructor at RISO Studio Arts Founder of Heavy Gel
Jayes Caitlin is an artist, printmaker and designer. She runs Heavy Gel, a printing, workshop, and publishing studio. Jayes also works as an curator, educator, and artist at RISO Studio Arts. She has exhibited in Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago.
Meet the Venue
CAW: Community Arts Workshop
Santa Barbara, California
“Over thirty years ago, a vision was cast for a community arts workspace, a space that would vitalize the Santa Barbara arts scene and the city as a whole by providing rehearsal, workshop, gallery and performance space for community arts—a space where people could come together, make and see great work, and spread inspiration.
On April 8, 2014, the City of Santa Barbara signed a lease with the Arts Collaborative for 631 Garden St., the former site of a city motor pool, to create the Community Arts Workshop—two large buildings and four separate spaces for rehearsals, painting, sculpture, gallery shows, annual workshop space for the Santa Barbara Solstice Parade, and more. On September 25, 2018, the City extended the lease for 25 years.”
