Ana Alexander/ Winonan

On Jan. 30, nestled into the basement of the former German Presbyterian Church, the Winona Arts Center held a monoprint card-making workshop.

The theme was Valentine’s Day, giving attendees the opportunity to create a handmade token of their affection to send to their loved ones.

Tables were strewn with glittering red hearts, puffy candy heart stickers, brightly colored inks, delicate red and white laces and a wide assortment of stamps.

People of all ages surrounded the tables, each with a plastic template to create their card, adding decorations and embellishments to their designs.

First, each attendee was given a plastic template, which would be the starting point for their design. They would then use a roller to apply a layer of ink across their template, selecting from pink, red, purple, yellow or blue. Some even blended colors together to create a smooth ombre effect.

The Winona Arts Center had supplied every table with a variety of decorations to adorn each card. Once the attendee was satisfied with their design, they carried it over to the press.

Volunteer Dirk Nelson helped press each design into a handmade card. After carefully placing each card on the press, Nelson would gently place a sheet of paper over each design, cover them with a layer of plastic and then a layer of fabric before signaling to one of the card-makers to begin rolling the press wheel.

As the wheel was turned, the panel the cards rested on ran through the press, applying enough pressure to imprint the design onto the piece of paper. Once the cards went through the press, each card-maker waited in anticipation for Nelson to remove the layers of fabric and reveal the results of their hard work and creativity. Other participants would gather around for the big reveal, letting out exclamations of admiration and praise for the artistry of each card.

This isn’t the first time the Winona Arts Center has held a card-making workshop, but it is one of the first times they’ve brought out their new press, which was purchased last spring thanks to several grants and donations.

Part of the draw to the workshop for some people was the opportunity to utilize the new press. One of the attendees, who preferred to remain anonymous, commented on her excitement to use the new press at the workshop.

“I heard about the press in November and wanted to see it and learn,” she said.

This kind of interest is what Nelson and other volunteers had in mind when they decided to put on the workshop.

“We wanted to get people down here to get some publicity for the press,” Nelson said. “I’ve been making cards for a long time, so we thought it would be a good draw for people.”

Nelson’s hopes for the workshop were fulfilled by the outcome of the event. There were a few solitary card-makers, but also some parents who brought their children down for the event. The kids had smiles on their faces as they got to express their creativity through art.

Before leaving, one of the children went around to all of the volunteers, thanking them, and said, “I loved turning the wheel of the press.”

Mary Coughlan, a volunteer and print-making professor at Winona State, smiled as she described how the workshop gave kids “a hands-on experience” to allow their creativity to run wild.

Coughlan said this isn’t the last opportunity to get involved with print-making through the Winona Arts Center.

“We’re going to have classes. Most of them are going to be one, two, three or four day classes, and we’re also going to have an open print workshop on Thursdays from three to eight p.m.,” she said. “It won’t be by instruction, and people will have to buy a pass.”

Those who sign up for the courses beginning Feb. 18 will learn how to make prints and designs just like attendees did at the card-making workshop. They will be able to incorporate what they’ve learned from the classes into independent work at the open print workshop on Thursday nights.

People who attend the open print workshop will have to purchase their own supplies, but they will have the opportunity to express their creativity and create designs to press.