The Creative World of Screen Printing for Photographers

with Maura Allen

July 6 – 10, 2026

Tuition $2095.00

(includes meal plan, see below)

Model, Location, and Materials Fee $460.00

Standard Deposit $400.00

Course Description

Serigraphs, more commonly known as screen prints, offer an untapped creative path for many photographers. Known for working across traditional genres of photography, painting, printmaking and glass, Maura Allen shares how she has embraced the creative use of photography for 25+ years to create her signature style and award-winning work. The New Mexico-based artist uses her own images (more than 250,000 of the American West) as her starting point. Silkscreens—not brushes—are her go-to tools for creating work in a mix of sizes and mediums, including paintings that scale hotel lobbies, hang in collectors’ homes, or that you can even wear (glass bolos!).

During this week-long, in-person workshop, Maura shares her process, the difference between a stellar photograph and an exceptional screen print image, and ways to layer in elements to create a signature style. You roll up your sleeves, learn from demos and exercises, and follow the steps of screen printing, a process at the center of Maura’s gallery and museum work. We experiment with creating work on paper, wood, and other materials.

Mid-week, we go on-location to create Santa Fe/Western images that you can use back at our screen printing studio. Of course, you can also bring images and ephemera from home that you love and want to explore. You leave with the know-how and inspiration to dive deeper—and the start of a screen printing portfolio.

Throughout the week, Maura focuses on key pivots, points of inspiration, and lessons learned for those looking to start projects, build a deeper body of work, and reach a broader following.

All workshop assignments start with and are built around your own images. No prior printmaking experience is needed—just an appetite to experiment and learn.

Additional Information

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

All are welcome. No prior printmaking experience is required.

What You Should Know:

All materials required for participation are provided by Santa Fe Workshops. Participants have the opportunity to create new imagery on location. You are also welcome to bring imagery, digital image files to print, and ephemera from home.

Activity Level:

To get the most from your workshop experience, participants should be in good physical (mobility, stamina) and mental health. Come prepared for the high elevation of Santa Fe, long days, and seasonal weather including high temperatures. You must be able to carry your own photographic and personal gear at all times, both on campus and on location. You are responsible for being open and honest about your physical fitness, and we reserve the right to remove you from the workshop if we find your fitness to be less than that which you have described.

Participants should be able to engage in moderate outdoor exercise for up to an hour or more at a time including off-trail walking on uneven terrain including sand, dirt, and loose rock. Location work is likely to include early morning and/or late evening shoots.

Policies:

View Payment, Refund, Withdrawal, and Transfer Policies for domestic workshops.

Accommodations:

Participants are responsible for making their own housing arrangements in Santa Fe. On-campus accommodations are not currently available.

Meals:

Lunch Monday through Friday, dinner before the Friday evening Image Presentations, and daily beverage service are included.

about

Maura Allen

A black and white photographer for 50+ years, Maura has long considered her photographic images as assets—as moments that can be deconstructed, reconstructed, layered, and leveraged to build and tell stories. The focus of her work for the past 30 years has been stories of the American West, both real and romanticized. She uses her photographs captured on location at rodeos, ranches, and more as a starting point for creating original work that crosses traditional art genres, including painting, printmaking, glass, and sculpture.

An award-winning photographer, in 2024 Maura received recognition in seven Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers categories, including Black & White/Series, Portrait, Alternative Process, Women by Women, and Storytelling. Recognized as the #1 U.S. mobile photographer (and 5th in the world) by One Eyeland, Maura’s photography pursuits span from digital to alternative, including a deep love of palladium/platinum printing and pinhole camera image capture.

Maura has shown and sold her work in top galleries, museums, and national art shows for the past 20 years. Her signature style and use of strong silhouettes have made her a sought-after artist and speaker. Recently, Double D Ranch, the top western lifestyle brand, featured her original work in its “Past & Present” collection of clothing and jewelry.

A Northern California native, Maura earned her BA in Latin/Classical Studies at Stanford University, where exposure to Eadweard Muybridge’s groundbreaking stop-motion photography informed how she sees the world in graphic shapes and silhouette. Maura serves on the board of trustees of the Sigler Western Museum and on the board of Leica Society International and Photolucida, the producer of Critical Mass. When not on the road with her camera, Maura lives in Abiquiu, New Mexico.

Websites: mauraallen.com and mauraallenphotography.com