Chance Operations: A Group Exhibition
Chance Operations: Monoprints, Make Ready, Test Prints, and Artist Proofs
A group exhibition curated by Elizabeth Isakson-Dado
Signal Return, Detroit, Michigan, September 18-December 19, 2025
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 18th, 5-8 pm
Chance Operations, or aleatorism, is a method of composing artwork that leaves a
portion of the design decision to chance. Letting go of control in the act of art making can
create new connections within a work, causing an image to be seen differently or a text to be
read in a new context.
As an exhibition, Chance Operations celebrates the anti-edition, an exploration of the
range printmaking can take when we eschew the perfect, painstakingly repeatable image and
honor the parts of the process many artists try to hide - the states, the proofs, the mechanical
press malfunctions, the fingerprints- and see the layers as a new composition, greater than a
sum of their parts.
Artists:
Melissa Dettloff (Detroit), Francisco Ramirez / Bureau Of Print (Milwaukee) Rachel Delmotte (Detroit),
Fatherless (Rockford, IL / London, UK), Maddy Underwood (Nashville / Athens, GA), Stacey Malasky
(Detroit), Angela Davis Fegan / Too Much Press (Chicago), Daniel MacAdam / Crosshair (Chicago),
Chris Fritton / The Itinerant Printer (Buffalo), and Arsenal Handicraft (Madison Heights, MI).
Curated by
Elizabeth Isakson-Dado / The Aquarius House
https://www.isaksondado.com/chanceoperations
Collaborative Posters with Test Prints Workshop
Instructed by Elizabeth Isakson-Dado / The Aquarius House
Chance Operations: Drop In, Make a Print Workshop
This drop-in activity will give participants a chance to make-and-take a layered print, similar to pieces in the Chance Operations exhibition at Signal-Return Gallery.
This activity will guide participants on the art of overprinting to make an abstract monoprint (aka- a one of a kind letterpress print!) With a variety of ink colors and textures to print, we will experiment with layering transparent ink colors from plates, woodblocks, and linocuts on different printing presses in the signal return studio. The results will be surprising, and differ from one print to the next.
This workshop is great for anyone curious about experimental printmaking and creating one-of-a-kind pieces with letterpress. Drop in anytime between 11-3pm to make a print of your own.
Chance Operations: Monoprints, Make Ready, Test Prints, and Artist Proofs
A group exhibition curated by Elizabeth Isakson-Dado
Signal Return, Detroit, Michigan, September 18-December 19, 2025
Curated by
Elizabeth Isakson-Dado / The Aquarius House
Chance Operations: It's Not a Mistake, it's a Monoprint (Print Jam with POMPOM)
This small event is a combination make & take workshop, and social meetup for printmakers of all levels!
After a brief introduction and overview of the exhibition Chance Operations at Signal-Return Gallery with curator Liz Isakson-Dado (The Aquarius House), participants can join in on a print jam in the Signal-Return studio and take home their own original monoprints.
Participants can choose to Bring Your Own Test Prints (BYOTP) cut down to 8.5 x 11, or use some provided from my own collection as a jumping off point for their design. We will use seconds, test prints, pieces of makeready, and other-wise cast off prints to create new artwork with lino, antique ornaments, or wood type printed text. The results will be surprising, and differ from one print to the next. It'll be a good chance to use equipment throughout Signal-Return, including a Sign Press, Vandercook Universal Press, and Provision Presses.
Each work will also be photographed before attendees take them home for the online Chance Operations exhibition catalog and shared with the POMPOM community on Discord.
About POMPOM:
Printmakers of Michigan 〰️ Printing on Materials
POMPOM is an IRL community of printmakers in Michigan. Whether you’re a printmaker with years of experience or simply interested in learning more about print, you are welcome to join us.
POMPOM was founded in 2020 by Melissa Dettloff and Christina Jacobs.
Chance Operations: Monoprints, Make Ready, Test Prints, and Artist Proofs
A group exhibition curated by Elizabeth Isakson-Dado
Signal Return, Detroit, Michigan, September 18-December 19, 2025
Curated by
Elizabeth Isakson-Dado / The Aquarius House
Artwork by Melissa Dettloff
Summer Signal
Saturday, August 9th from 10 AM - 6 PM. Free & open to all - no registration needed. Join us for a vibrant, all-day celebration at Signal-Return as we kick off summer with creativity, community, and hands-on fun! Explore the world of printmaking through drop-in demos led by skilled artists, enjoy a range of family-friendly activities, and shop unique, handmade art from local creatives at our pop-up booths inside. Whether you’re a seasoned printmaker or just looking for a fun way to spend your Saturday, there’s something here for everyone ☀️
Archivo Político Vivo: Paloma Nùñez-Regueiro
Join us for the opening of Archivo Político Vivo, an exhibition of work created by Paloma Nùñez-Regueiro during her artist residency at Signal-Return from March through July of 2025. This exhibition includes Archivo Político Vivo, an art book that contains a collection of carefully curated phrases, titles, lyrics, and commentary written with a pictographic typeface created by her. It will also include process work, prints, and plates. In the artist’s words - “Archivo Político Vivo is an artist book compiled and printed during my artist residency at Signal-Return in Detroit. Within its category of artist book it also is an accordion book bound in a Swiss-style binding. It comprises fifty three printed pages, half of them are printed with movable type and the other half is printed with a pictographic text created by me. This book is a compilation of historical document titles of US interventions in Latin America from 1823 to 2001, and a collection of carefully curated poems, lyrics, and commentary written with a pictographic typeface that timely matches the issued documents printed with movable type. These songs, poems, and phrases are now part of Latin American culture, folklore, and oral tradition.”
You can find more work by Paloma on her website: https://www.palomanr.com/?utm_campaign=ab28419d-9fa1-46fc-8f59-4a56fa39bbef&utm_source=so&utm_medium=mail&cid=73077b32-d7df-4712-b3c1-ce5ce5c263a4
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palomaprintmaking/?hl=en
Light refreshments will be served at the opening. No registration is required to join.
This exhibition will be open for viewing until September 5th during our open store hours.
Summer Signal
Saturday, July 12th from 10 AM - 6 PM. Free & open to all - no registration needed. Join us for a vibrant, all-day celebration at Signal-Return as we kick off summer with creativity, community, and hands-on fun! Explore the world of printmaking through drop-in demos led by skilled artists, enjoy a range of family-friendly activities, and shop unique, handmade art from local creatives at our pop-up booths inside. Whether you’re a seasoned printmaker or just looking for a fun way to spend your Saturday, there’s something here for everyone ☀️
Summer Signal
Saturday, June 14th from 10 AM - 6 PM. Free & open to all - no registration needed. Join us for a vibrant, all-day celebration at Signal-Return as we kick off summer with creativity, community, and hands-on fun! Explore the world of printmaking through drop-in demos led by skilled artists, enjoy a range of family-friendly activities, and shop unique, handmade art from local creatives at our pop-up booths inside. Whether you’re a seasoned printmaker or just looking for a fun way to spend your Saturday, there’s something here for everyone ☀️
Mother’s Day Card Jam
Print your mom a letterpress Mother’s Day card! Florist, Jane Sasso, will be creating beautiful bouquets for purchase.
Peninsular Printmaking Fair
The Peninsular Printmaker Fair is an all-Michigander printmaker fair. April 5th, 2025 will be the 2nd annual event, open from 12pm to 8pm. It will bring together printmakers thought our state for a market at Urbanrest Brewery in Ferndale.
Gesher L'amanut
Participating Artists: Chris Hundiak, Dorothy Harris Moy, Jo Banooni, Kenneth Rosenthal, Linda Gray, Mimi Sassoon and Sharon Glazer.
New Impressions
On view: January 16 - March 7, 2025
This international juried exhibition showcases the exploration and creativity with letterpress printing techniques.
Curated by the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum in Two Rivers, Wisconsin.
Elements of an Ephemeral archive
Closing Reception: Thursday, December 19, 2024, 5pm-8pm
Cup of Sugar
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 26th, 5 - 7 pm
https://www.detroitmonthofdesign.org/event-details/cup-of-sugar
Moving Type: Texture/Pattern/Geometry/Obsession The Work of Ingrid Ankerson
Opening Reception: Friday, July 19, 5 - 7 pm
