The Art Cafe is hosting a full day of workshops for youth and adults

WASILLA — The Art Cafe is hosting two workshops Friday, July 22.

The first workshop is a class on Gyotaku Fish Printing, hosted by Hawaiian artist Ron Graham from 12 to 4 p.m.

Gyotaku is the traditional Japanese method of printing fish (gyo “fish” + taku “rubbing”) that dates back to the mid-1800s and was first used by Japanese fisherman who wanted to make a record of the size and species of fish they caught for display at market.

Those participating in the Gyotaku class will have the choice to use sumi ink or acrylic paint to make the initial print on shoji rice paper, and a shirt.

One shirt is included with registration, but attendees can also bring their own shirts. According to the event page, dark colored heavy cotton fabric works best with the white acrylic paint utilized during the class.

The class cost $100 per person with all materials included. Participants can even bring their own fresh or thawed fish for their design.

The second workshop is a special Kid Night which is also a Gyotaku Fish Printing class hosted by Graham from. This workshop is open to youth ages 7 to 12 and runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. It cost $50.

Those interested in signing up for the adult Gyotaku class or signing up their children for the youth class can do so online or in person.

The Art Cafe is located at 131 East Blueberry Avenue in downtown Palmer. For more information, call 907-745-6100 or visit theartcafeak.com.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com