POP-in Events

POP!NK presents POP-in Events: The Ultimate Hands-On Creative Experience

The average American spends about 12 hours per day staring at screens. That’s literally half our lives glued to desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones… and it’s having increasingly adverse effects on our physical health, our mental health and even our cognitive development. 

Enter screenprinting — an altogether different kind of screen time. 

Screenprinting (the centuries-old craft of squeezing ink through a stenciled mesh screen onto a surface to create an image) is the ultimate digital detox, combining material engagement, physical interaction and analog precision in one holistic creative practice. Studies show that screenprinting:

• Encourages mindfulness, boosts problem-solving skills and builds mental resilience

• Reduces physiological stress, enhances neurological health and improves conditioning 

• Provides tactile satisfaction, fosters community connection and nurtures emotional expression

Disconnect from your screens and reconnect with yourself under the tutelage of POP!NK Experiences, Chicago’s first and only brand dedicated to interactive screenprinting workshops custom-curated for creative professionals and artists, business teams and art enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds. 

POP-in Collaborations

Artist + Master Printer

An immersive, hands-on creative partnership bringing an artist's vision to life through fine art screenprinting.

POP-in Collector Events

Art + Discovery

Exclusive experiences connecting collectors with artists, original artwork, and the stories behind the work.

POP-in Workshops & Parties

Creativity + Community

Interactive screenprinting experiences for corporate gatherings, private parties, and creative team building.

Step-by-Step Screenprinting, Taught by the Very Best in the Business

Screenprinting is conceptually simple, but technically complex. A printer hand-pulls a squeegee across a mesh to transfer ink onto a substrate like paper or apparel, excluding any areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. Colors are printed one at a time, necessitating a separate screen for each successive layer of color applied. 

POP!NK Experiences’ hands-on screenprinting workshops break it all down step by step, guided by master printers Curt Readel and Zach Schrey, co-owners of POP!NK Editions, Chicago’s premier fine art screenprinting studio. You’ll get up close and personal with core processes including: 

• Screen coating and burning (Applying light-sensitive photo emulsion with a scoop coater, drying screens in a darkroom and exposing stencils using a UV exposure unit)

• Washout and reclamation (Washing out the unexposed image and cleaning the mesh for reuse)

• Registration and setup (Aligning multi-color designs, setting up off-contact gaps and securing materials on a printing press)

• Printing and inks (Mastering squeegee angles, pressure, ink viscosity and curing prints properly with heat)

Each workshop participant goes home with their own hand-pulled, suitable-for-framing, POP!NK Editions-authenticated screenprint, featuring original work from acclaimed contemporary artists from across Chicago and beyond. POP!NK collectors take note: Each screenprinted image is unique to that particular workshop, and will not be reprinted at subsequent events. 

Why Screenprinting?

Screenprinting is the ultimate hands-on creative experience — an analog antidote to society’s collective digital fatigue.  

Screenprinting originated during China’s Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD) as a means of transferring designs onto fabrics, and took root in the U.S. during the early 20th century, emerging as a reliable, cost-effective method of mass-producing signage, advertising displays and novelty items like felt pennants. Andy Warhol popularized screenprinting as a fine art medium during the 1960s, exploiting the processes and philosophies of mechanized replication to explore consumer culture and celebrity. 

Printmaking remains more vital than ever in the 21st century. That’s because: 

Screenprinting unleashes creativity, stimulating innovative thinking and shifting mindsets from pixel-perfect rigidity to tactile, experimental problem-solving.

Screenprinting fosters collaboration, transforming an individual artistic pursuit into a team-oriented, multi-step production process.

Screenprinting promotes well-being, satisfying our foundational human need to see the direct, physical consequences of our labor.

But don’t just take POP!NK’s word for it. Here’s what past workshop attendees say.

“I loved it. I’m a very visual person. Color brings me a lot of joy, so seeing the process behind everything you do here was very special.” — Lauren H.

“I learned so much about screenprinting. I knew nothing about screenprinting going into it, and now I’m very intrigued by it. I want to have a lot of screenprints in my home.” — Maddie L.

“I didn’t expect the amount of passion [the POP!NK team] had, and how they exuded that through their teachings. They humanized the experience, and made it very funny.” — Greer L.

“I enjoyed learning about something that I had no idea was such a big deal. I recommend this experience to everybody. I think everybody needs to know about it.” — Isabel A.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What types of screenprinting workshops does POP!NK Experiences offer? 

Answer: We curate tutorials for a wide array of demographics — marketing and advertising teams, nonprofit leaders, bachelorette parties, you name it. Staples of the POP!NK Experiences calendar include:  

• Screenprinting 101 for Business

• Screenprinting 101 for Creative Enthusiasts (Individuals, Couples or Groups)

• One-on-One Screenprinting Bootcamp for Creative Professionals

• Screenprinting Monthly Intensive Formats  

Question: Are POP!NK’s professional workshops customized according to each client’s objectives?

Answer: Yes. We work closely with clients to develop workshop programming targeting their specific business goals and needs, with an emphasis on: 

• Scaling for varying skill levels. Our workshops are all about accessibility, engagement and inclusion, ensuring no one in attendance feels frustrated or excluded.

• Providing a flexible atmosphere. Our North Center studio environment accommodates everything from high-energy, open-bar team-building events to laser-focused, mindful creative retreats. 

• Promoting authentic collaboration. Our experiences seamlessly integrate collaborative tasks with relaxed social time, encouraging participants to share ideas, help each other and bond over a shared, tangible outcome.

Question: Screenprinting seems like a lot of fun, but do POP!NK’s workshops generate real business results, too?

Answer: Absolutely! Screenprinting imparts highly transferable professional skills and insights, namely: 

• Embracing imperfection. Learning to utilize the variables and "happy accidents" inherent in the screenprinting process sparks raw, authentic asset creation for branding and advertising campaigns.

• Navigating creative constraints. Analog craftsmanship fosters resourcefulness and problem-solving — essential skills for working within tight client briefs or under strict financial restrictions.

• Fostering a more supportive environment. Hands-on workshops require teammates to communicate more clearly, sync their physical movements and trust one another, building collective resilience and improving overall morale. 

Question: Is the client responsible for any workshop setup, cleanup or supply management?

Answer: Nope! POP!NK Experiences are completely turnkey, and stress-free for the event organizer.

Question: Will there be cold beer to quench our thirst?

Answer: Of course! (Assuming you’re 21 or older, that is.)