Alyx Lunada lays a piece of cloth on the printing press at Word of Mouth Print Space on June 22. They have been screen printing since age 17 and have opened up this space for art and activism to the community.
This story originally aired on Arizona Spotlight's July 11, 2024 episode.
In a tight, humble room on the west side of town, screen printers at the Word of Mouth Print Space run a far-from-perfect operation.
Their single window is shaded with a bed sheet; the scent of solution wafts through the room with little circulation; and a passive shirt rack selling $15 graphic tees invites contributions to the project’s small pool of profit.
But the cyclist-clubhouse-turned-art-studio opens its four ink-lined yellow walls to anyone looking for a space to create, whether they’re a teacher, student, or solo artist.
Alyx Lunada, the founder and program director, and their core group of volunteers welcome mistakes and are going with the flow themselves.
“The mentality has been: ‘Let’s just do it. We’re probably going to f*** up. We’re probably going to make mistakes. And that’s okay,” they said.
Lunada began screen printing at age 17 when they bought a printing press and screens, and assembled a do-it-yourself lightbox that now sits in the Word of Mouth studio. When they came to Tucson from Sacramento, a spot on Ventura Street freed up at the Blacklidge Community Collective, a group of grassroots projects including the Church of Safe Injection Tucson and the BCC Community Garden among others.
Sporting a pair of bright red sunglasses and rose-shaped earrings, Lunada and fellow artists Nick Gomez and Dani Alvarez prepared the printing press for a round of ink play.
Gomez, who comes to the space for sanctuary, said Word of Mouth — or WOMPS — reminded them of their youth when they first experimented with art and activism. Gomez was in the political punk scene in Phoenix in their youth, and said the experience helped them realize that “art is about bridging communities.”
Nick Gomez presents a freshly printed piece reading "All walls must fall!!" at Word of Mouth Print Space on June 22. Gomez said they find "sanctuary" at the space where they channel activism through art.
Word of Mouth is about “people of all different backgrounds coming together to do something for the community that’s accessible. It’s not considered fine art, but it’s definitely a conversation starter,” Gomez said.
Accessibility is a big theme at WOMPS where masks are encouraged to mitigate health risks and a sliding scale method of payment is used, meaning participants can donate however much they can for workshops.
That accessibility takes intangible forms too. Lunada said the teaching method of their workshops is typically “loose, open, sloppy, and supportive,” which allows for mentor and mentee mess-ups.
“You don’t have to be very good at it,” they said. “But you can still use this as an avenue to express yourself and empower your voice.”
WOMPS has partnered with local causes like No More Deaths, an organization advocating for migrant protections along the United States-Mexico border, as well as the Tucson Abortion Support Collective.
The group has also held fundraisers for global issues, including a “Printing for Palestine” event which donated to a humanitarian cause providing supplies for Gazans on the ground.
Lunada said there have been ups and downs in the process of leading the WOMPS mission. Back in 2020 when they first acquired the space, they had little help. After a year of painting the walls and shelves on their own, and waiting for someone to reach out a hand, Lunada was offered a grant from the Museum of Contemporary Art which prompted WOMPS to operate as it does today.
Shortly after, WOMPS received another grant from the Community Food Bank which allowed them to “really take off,” Lunada said.
Still, Lunada felt lost at times and questioned the purpose of their program. Was it relevant to the greater community? Was it really making a difference?
In the last year, Lunada, who says they have taken the title of “WOMPS Mom,” said their faith in the project has solidified. They have a core group of volunteers supporting the show and feedback from participants has helped their vision come to fruition.
Alyx Lunada (left), Nick Gomez (middle) and Dani Alvarez (right) smile in Word of Mouth Print Space on June 22. The program is primarily funded by grants and opens its space for inexpensive workshops.
Dani Alvarez, one of the event and partnership coordinators at WOMPS, said that every person is an artist.
“I think it’s so cool — for me personally — to finally have a community space that I can share with other people and remind everyone that comes in that they can make something cool,” they said. Whether you have lived in Tucson your whole life, or if you’re traveling through for a few days, you are welcome to walk into WOMPS and are free to print any design on any surface.
Lunada said they are working on growing the project into a larger space and have begun personal fundraising campaigns to support the transition. They plan on improving their accessibility to cater to all individuals so they can maintain a broad network.
Alvarez said, “Community art spaces are revolutionary … and I hope that we are too.”
Dani Alvarez (left) and Alyx Lunada (right) prepare the printing press at Word of Mouth Print Space on June 22. The space is open for community volunteers to use equipment or join workshops.
Noor Haghighi and Sophia Hammer are University of Arizona students working in the AZPM newsroom.
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