CLEVELAND — Getting a film camera into the hands of budding photographers, hobbyists and professionals has been a goal for the Cleveland Print Room, for over a decade. It is a community dark room, education center and a gallery, even when film was out of style.
“I would say ten years ago, it was kind of a dying medium. Organizations were getting rid of their dark rooms, and now we're kind of like on the uptick from all of that,” said the Founder and Co-Director of the Cleveland Print Room Shari Wilkins.
Wilkin’s love of physical photographs was the spark that created the Print Room. Partnerships with Cleveland schools and local universities allows them to show hundreds of kids the appeal of film photography.
“You can work with your hands, and you can tell a story,” said Wilkins.
Started in the old Artcraft building, leadership started looking for a new home started before the City of Cleveland took possession for a new police headquarters. They found it in an old laundry facility at 4730 Lexington Avenue. It offers four times the space of their previous home, with additional room available for tenants. The move puts the Print Room squarely in control of its future.
“All these conversations about change and development in which the arts have been a key player. It was important, I thought, for us to drive the bus for ourselves,” said Kerry Davis, Creative Director of the Cleveland Print Room.
An important point for Davis, who says though arts help drive economic development, too often it’s people outside of the community, who are in charge. Buying their own building wasn’t part of the Print Room’s original plan. But it makes sense.
“When I see the architectural drawings, it's just it blows my mind. I don't know what else to say,” said Wilkins. “We're talking about adding on galleries, so we'll have two galleries. We're trying to make it more comprehensive for photographic arts.”
In the works, expanded programing as well as public neighborhood green space.
“Us being the stewards of green space that people could use whenever they would like gave us a chance to engage differently,” said Davis.
While celebrating this time of change, the Print Room isn’t straying from its commitment to local photographers and international talent. As well as sharing with the next generation, the joy of telling stories through photos.
“They fall in love with the fact that there is some tactical sort of process to this. And this sort of magical unveiling of this end result,” said Davis.
The Cleveland Print Room doesn’t have a set date on when the new location will be completed.