OCTOBER 1–31 // ANNUAL WORK PERIOD
REGISTRATION OPENS SEPTEMBER 8
LITERAL INK // ARTISTS 18+ // $0 FEES
01 // THE CONSTRAINT
ONE MEDIUM.
NO SINGLE METHOD.
Every October, INK SHIFT asks Erie to work in literal ink. Draw it. Print it. Write it. Stamp it. Spill it. Press it into paper.
The medium stays narrow so the response can open wide. Participation is the practice layer—not a guarantee of exhibition, publication, sale, or venue access.
01
MAKE
Work in literal ink during the annual October period.
02
REGISTER
Document the work. Respond only when the current-year call opens.
03
EXHIBIT + BIND
Separate curatorial and editorial decisions may move work into THE BLACK REGISTER and THE OCTOBER REGISTER.
02 // THE SYSTEM
THREE NAMES.
ONE ANNUAL ENGINE.
INK SHIFT is the open practice layer.
THE BLACK REGISTER is the curated exhibition layer.
THE OCTOBER REGISTER is the BOOKFORGE-produced publication and archive.
Each transition is separate.
PRACTICE LAYER
INK SHIFT
WHEN
PAPER
EDITION
INK
12 X 18 IN.
FLURRY COTTON / NATURAL WHITE
100 / SIGNED BY EZJU
SUPERGRAPHIC BLACK + CRIMSON
$60
SHIPPING SEPARATE
03 // 2026 FIELD MANUAL
THE FRAME IS SET.
READ THE PROSPECTUS.
The 2026 Artist Prospectus is live. Registration opens September 8 and closes October 4 at 11:59 PM ET. Work in literal ink from October 1–31.
LITERAL INK
Physical ink must be materially present. Digital-only work does not qualify.
WEEKLY EVIDENCE
Due October 4, 11, 18, 25, and November 1 at 11:59 PM ET.
OPEN CALL // $0 FEES
Artists 18+. No geographic restriction. No participation fee.
SELECTION IS SEPARATE
Participation does not guarantee exhibition or publication.
THE BLACK REGISTER opens November 5, 2026.
04 // WHY IT EXISTS
MAKE THE WORK PUBLIC.
PRESERVE THE PROOF.
INK SHIFT turns one month of private labor into three things: a citywide practice, a selective public exhibition, and a bound record that does not disappear when the walls come down.
PRACTICE
Participation counts as practice—not acceptance.
EXHIBITION
Selection is a separate curatorial decision.
PUBLICATION
Editorial selection is a separate BOOKFORGE decision.
05 // 2026 STATUS
BUILD IN PROGRESS.
NO FALSE PROMISES.
The exhibition, publication, sales, and underwriting lanes are tracked separately. No lane activates another automatically.
01 — MAKE
Work in ink during the annual period.
02 — REGISTER
Respond only when the current-year call opens.
03 — PRESERVE
Selected work may move to exhibition, publication, or both.
06 // QUESTIONS
BEFORE THE CALL OPENS.
Title 01
The finished works are original two-part relief prints, not exact reproductions. Natural differences in pressure, surface, registration, and ink make every result distinct.
Title 02
The initial fine-art edition is limited to 100 signed works. Shirts are produced to advance order, beginning with a first run of 100.
Title 03
Paper prints use 12 × 18 in. Flurry Cotton Natural White paper with Supergraphic Black and Crimson Red relief ink. Shirts are hand printed on white or black cotton blanks with fabric block-printing ink.
Cobalt
Lemon
Peach
Campaign dates will be announced before checkout opens. ELT will send production and fulfillment updates by email. USPS or UPS shipping is charged separately.
One signed 12 × 18 in. Urban Hatch variable-edition print plus one hand-pulled relief-print shirt. $100. Shipping separate. The preorder link will be added when the store items are ready.
03 // THE EDITION
NOT IDENTICAL. RELATED.
Every work begins with the same two-stage process, but no two pulls carry the same pressure, surface wear, ink density, or edge. That variation is evidence of a handmade object, not a defect to be corrected.
VARIABLE EDITION
The initial fine-art edition is limited to 100 signed works.
MADE IN ERIE
The street impression and ELT block are each pulled by hand.
DOCUMENTED
Each finished print is inspected, signed by Ezju, and prepared at ELT.
04 // WHAT IT SUPPORTS
THIS IS HOW A BUILDING STAYS IN MOTION.
Advance orders buy the work and help Erie Labor Temple keep making space for artists, gatherings, exhibitions, workshops, and public programs. Purchasing is distinct from sponsorship: one acquires the edition; the other underwrites the wider work.
PROGRAM MATERIALS
Supplies and practical resources that let public work happen.
ARTISTS + LABOR
Hands, skill, preparation, and the time required to make the work.
BUILDING OPERATIONS
The daily work of keeping a working cultural building active.
05 // PREORDER + FULFILLMENT
ORDER NOW. WE MAKE NEXT.
Campaign dates will be announced before checkout opens. Every item is made after the preorder is placed. ELT will send production and fulfillment updates by email.
01 // ORDER
Select the print, shirt, or pair during the announced preorder window.
02 // MAKE
The hatch impression and ELT signal are pulled by hand, then dried and inspected.
03 // RECEIVE
ELT fulfills by USPS or UPS. Shipping is charged separately.
06 // QUESTIONS
BEFORE YOU ORDER.
ARE THESE EXACT REPRODUCTIONS?
No. Each piece is an original two-part relief print. Natural changes in pressure, surface, registration, and ink make every result distinct.
HOW MANY ARE AVAILABLE?
The initial fine-art variable edition is 100 signed prints. The founding shirt production run is 100. There is no per-customer order limit while inventory remains.
WHAT COLORS AND MATERIALS ARE USED?
Prints use Supergraphic Black and Crimson Red, or a combination, on 12 × 18 in. natural-white Flurry Cotton. Shirt details will be finalized after wash testing.
WHEN WILL ORDERS SHIP?
Preorder, production, and expected shipping dates will be announced before checkout opens. ELT will fulfill by USPS or UPS, with shipping charged separately.