- This event has passed.
Postcards from Montreal: A Three-Part Linocut Workshop
This three-session workshop introduces participants to the art of linocut, an expressive and accessible printmaking technique. Linocut allows artists to carve designs into linoleum blocks and print them repeatedly, creating bold images full of texture and contrast.
With the theme Postcards from Montreal, participants will be encouraged to reinterpret the city’s postcard-worthy views and symbols. Inspiration can come from classic Montreal icons — the Old Port, bridges, parks, the classic Montreal staircases or even the Farine Five Roses sign — as well as places tied to the city’s Jewish history and culture. These might include Synagogues, the Bagg Street Shul, the historic Back River Cemetery, well-known Jewish businesses and street corners, or something personal that represents the city for you.
Over the course of three 3-hour sessions, participants will be guided step by step through the process: sketching and transferring an image, carving, and finally printing. Each session builds on the last, with opportunities to experiment, refine, and reprint, so participants can see their ideas evolve from first draft to a finished edition.
The workshop emphasizes both technique and creative exploration. Participants will learn practical skills — such as safe carving, preparing ink, and operating a printing press — while also discovering how linocut can be a form of personal and cultural expression.
By the end of the workshop, each participant will take home their own carved linoleum block (which can be reused for future prints) along with a collection of original prints created during the sessions. All tools and materials will be provided.
About the Instructor
Damián Birbrier is a saxophonist, composer, and multidisciplinary artist whose work bridges music, visual arts, and community engagement. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and raised in Brazil, he draws on a rich cultural background that informs his creative practice, which is centered on improvisation, collaboration, and collective creation.
In recent years, Damián has designed and facilitated numerous workshops that blend artistic exploration with social connection. In 2022, he led a series of group workshops at Club Ami in Montréal, using collective music compositions, images, and video as tools for creativity and dialogue. He has also developed music improvisation workshops tailored especially for amateur musicians.
Expanding beyond music, in 2023 and 2024 he introduced participants to linocut and printing press techniques through hands-on workshops at the Museum of Jewish Montreal, where participants explored both the craft and the collective experience of making art.
By drawing on his versatility as both musician and visual artist, Damián embraces a polyvalent approach to artistic practice. His workshops foster exchange across disciplines and invite participants to discover new ways of expressing themselves.
