Mission & History
Our mission is to encourage appreciation for relief printmaking: one impression at a time.
BIG INK is committed to ensuring a promising future for printmaking for people of all skill levels through community-focused art education. We’ve helped thousands of individuals carve woodblocks, and countless community members have attended our open workshops to witness the spectacle of the printing process.
2012: The Journey Begins
Lyell Castonguay and Carand Burnet incorporated BIG INK LLC. The first informal gathering took place in Northampton, MA. Local artists carved blocks, ink was rolled out, and volunteers hand-printed the carvings during a sidewalk festival.
2014: Our First Workshop
The first official BIG INK workshop was held at Zea Mays Printmaking in Florence, MA. Participants received BIG INK’s first printmaking manual, The Gritty Guide, and six introductory carving videos.
2016: Big Tuna Is Made
Art centers with large presses in Rhode Island, Oregon, and Oklahoma hosted BIG INK workshops. Further reach depended on creating a portable printing press. To build The Big Tuna, BIG INK raised approximately $15,000 in funding through state grants, private donors, and Kickstarter.
2018: Online Masterclass
We designed our first online masterclass. It featured resources and new techniques acquired through traveling and working with others. Workshop highlights included a print demonstration and an artists’ talk at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
2019: Pitch Perfect
BIG INK won a pitch competition hosted by the Regional Economic Development Center (REDC) of Rockingham Country, NH. The $25,000 award helped us create a new website, branding, and brochures.
2020: Covid Strikes
Masks were in short supply at the start of the global pandemic. So Burnet sewed and donated over 300 woodblock-printed masks to artists in need. BIG INK workshops were paused for eight months and resumed at limited capacity. 2020 marked our first cross-country road trip from New England to California!
2022: Ten Inky Years!
We continue to facilitate workshops nationwide. Each year, more artists experience the satisfaction of carving and printing. By this point, BIG INK has helped create thousands of prints carved by many outstanding artists.
2023: Masterclass 2.0
We used professional recording equipment to produce an updated online master class and built the Student Center. Now, participants have one central webpage to access all educational content, including over two hours of video instruction.
2024: Music Calls
Burnet, a skilled guitarist, leaves BIG INK to focus on building her music career. Kioea plays original instrumental music for a growing fanbase and tours throughout New England.
2025: Studio & Hall of Fame
We created the Hall of Fame (for example) to immortalize the achievements of BIG INK participants. Castonguay moved into a new studio in Lewiston, Maine. Photos are coming soon!
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