Hatch Show Print Block Party

Hatch Show Print is hosting its Block Party on Saturday, October 17, from 3 PM to 5 PM at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, 222 Rep. John Lewis Way South. It's a hands-on printing workshop for adults, and the whole thing is built around the shop's own hand-carved blocks.

If you've seen the posters around town, you know the look. Hatch Show Print is one of the oldest poster and design shops in the country, and they still do things the old-fashioned way: printing show posters for musicians, bands, and performers one at a time on a letterpress. For the Block Party, they're opening up that process. You'll work with hand-carved blocks to hand-ink and print on paper and fabric using some of Nashville's most recognizable imagery—the same kind of imagery the Hatch designers cut in-house.

It's not just about pulling a print, either. Instructors walk you through the basics of composing an image, with a focus on layers and color. From there, you'll get into the actual work: slinging the ink, rolling the brayers, and designing as if it were 1879, making every piece by hand. It's a slow, tactile process that lets you see exactly how a poster comes together, one layer at a time.

All the materials are provided, including a blank tea towel or tote bag to print on. If you want more, you can bring along a T-shirt or another clean, washable item to add to the mix. The workshop runs from 3 PM to 5 PM on Saturday, October 17, at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.