Anda Tanaka is a Minneapolis-based artist and educator working primarily in printmaking and drawing. She has exhibited work in solo, juried, and group shows around the country, most recently at Soo Visual Arts Center in Minneapolis and the Octagon Center for the Arts in her hometown of Ames, Iowa. Anda holds a BA in music and studio art from St. Olaf College and an MFA from Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD). She is currently the Apprentice Printer at Highpoint Center for Printmaking and has taught courses at both MCAD and Highpoint. As a printmaker, she is always excited to learn new techniques and has recently taken continued education classes in monoprinting on clay, bookmaking, and waterless lithography. When not in the studio, you can find Anda outside cycling, cross-country skiing, open water swimming, or walking her cats, Triskit and Millie.
I joined the Highpoint co-op almost ten years ago. I was drawn to the studio because it provided a way to continue learning and experimenting with printmaking after becoming interested in the medium as an art major at St. Olaf. Joining the co-op gave me a solid community and network as I began to establish my studio practice in Minneapolis. After finishing my MFA at MCAD in 2022, I was able to join the Highpoint team as an Apprentice Printer, bringing along my long experience with the space as a community member.
I have been involved at Highpoint as a co-op member, adult educator, and printer. Throughout all these roles, I am passionate about problem-solving printmaking challenges with peers, students, and colleagues. Our staff and community members are generous with their time and expertise and are continually learning from one another.
Highpoint Editions staff printing "The Beautyful Ones" May Have Arrived, print by Njideka Akunyili Crosby
As Apprentice Printer, I work with our Senior Printer, Zac, and our Studio Interns in the Highpoint Editions “Pro Shop.” Highpoint Editions works with invited artists, local, national, and international, to create collaborative prints. In collaborative printmaking, the artist drives the aesthetic and conceptual side of a project while the printers provide technical skills and expertise. If you stop by the Pro Shop, you may find me mixing ink, preparing paper, packing prints, printing, or chatting with visitors about printmaking. My favorite part about my role is that I can share my enthusiasm and knowledge of printmaking with visitors and artists every day.
During the past few months, Senior Printer, Zac, and I have been interviewing printers at various shops across the U.S. and Canada to network with peers and learn about how different studios operate and collaborate with artists. It has been valuable to step back and look at the big picture alongside all the super-detailed printing work we do on a daily basis.
Having Highpoint in the Twin Cities has allowed and encouraged me to become deeply invested in the printmaking community as an artist, educator, and printer. Highpoint was my first studio after completing undergrad, the site of my first self-designed printmaking course, and where I have learned the ins and outs of the print publishing world.
I am currently teaching Intro to Intaglio at Highpoint and will be taking part in the winter HP co-op show, “Prints on Ice” as well as the Arrowhead Biennial in Duluth. And, now that the snow has started to fly, it is time to start training for the Birkebeiner cross country ski marathon, a winter tradition for me.
Thanks, Anda!!
You can find more of Anda Tanaka’s work.