Event Details
- Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026
- Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
- Location: BAL Courtyard, Old Dominion University
- Hosted by: Dr. Margaret Kilcline and the mpark team
- Registration: Register on Monarch Groups
About the Event
Join the mpark team for a hands-on cyanotype experience! Create your own blue-and-white photographic print in just 3–6 minutes while exploring how women writers and artists have used nonstandard textual practices to represent their experiences. This interactive activity is presented in collaboration with ODU’s Fall 2026 Women Writers course.
Drop in and get creative! Open to students, faculty, and staff. No prior experience required. Weather permitting.
What Is a Cyanotype?
Cyanotype is a photographic printing process that produces distinctive cyan-blue images. By placing objects on light-sensitive surfaces and exposing them to ultraviolet light, artists can create unique blue-and-white prints. This technique brings together photography, nature, and artistic expression.
Cyanotypes and Women’s Creative Expression
Women artists and writers have explored creative ways to communicate their experiences beyond conventional texts. Anna Atkins, a pioneer of early photography, used cyanotypes to document botanical specimens in Photographs of British Algae (1843). Her work illustrates the connections among scientific observation, photography, and artistic expression.
Join Us!
Stop by the BAL Courtyard on Tuesday, October 20, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM and create your own cyanotype! Each activity takes approximately 3–6 minutes, and no previous experience is necessary. Students, faculty, and staff are welcome. Drop-in participation is encouraged!