Upcoming Events: Common Press

Apr 10

Open to the Public

Open Studio Session: Ink and Flax in the Revolutionary Era

Join us for a drop-in Open Studio at Common Press to print a broadside exploring a key ingredient used to produce ink, fabric, and paper during the Revolutionary era: flax!

• April 10, 2026
• 2:00pm - 4:00pm
• Common Press Space

Apr 18

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Open House: Papermaking at Historic Rittenhouse Town

See the work of Common Press during our residency at the papermill at Historic Rittenhouse Town where we will be turning the cloth collected during our community rag collection into large sheets of handmade paper.

• April 18, 2026
• 11:00am - 4:00pm
• Historic Rittenhouse Town

Apr 29

Open to the Public

Open Studio Session: Workers, Apprentices, and Unions in the Revolutionary Era

Join us for a drop-in Open Studio at Common Press to print a broadside reflecting on important aspects of labor history during the early days of the United States of America.

• April 29, 2026
• 2:00pm - 4:00pm
• Common Press Space

May 01

• Workshop

Open to Penn Students, Faculty, and Staff

Papermaking on Weitzman Plaza

Common Press will be demonstrating hand papermaking, pulling sheets of paper from our vat of cotton and linen fibers. The paper pulp was made from fabric collected from our fall 2025 community-wide rag collection, and beaten during our spring 2026 residency at Historic Rittenhouse Town. We invite you to come understand the ancient craft of papermaking, and to make a sheet or two of paper for yourself!

• May 1, 2026
• 1:00pm - 3:00pm
• Weitzman Plaza

May 01

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Papermaking in Weitzman Plaza

Visit us on Weitzman Plaza where we will be pulling sheets of paper from the pulp made from the cloth collected during our community rag collection. This handmade paper will be used to print copies of the Declaration of Independence at Common Press during Summer 2026.

• May 1, 2026
• 1:00pm - 3:00pm
• Weitzman Plaza

May 14 - 15

• Workshop

Open to the Public

The 12-Hour Declaration of Independence: Community Typesetting

To honor the 250th anniversary of the Declaration, Common Press will host a 12 hour, two day community typesetting event during which all are invited to hand-set metal type to help create a historically-accurate replica. The final forme of metal type will remain available for printing on our 19th-century hand press through August 2026.

• May 14 - 15, 2026
• Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library, Lower Level

May 20 - Aug 15

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Print the Declaration of Independence

Visit Common Press during the Summer 2026 to print a copy of the Declaration of Independence for yourself.

• May 20 - August 15, 2026
• Common Press