Meet the Member: MiraMar Print Lab

Interviewee:

Sammia Atoui (She/her)

In your own words, tell us about your business, organization, or initiative.

MiraMar is a family-run printmaking studio. We celebrate the ancient art of printmaking through classes, workshops, and our own art. Come check us out in our new location on Salem’s Artists’ Row!

Tell us a bit about you and why you do what you do. Share your passions for your business, organization, or initiative.

We love printmaking because of its beauty, history, and democratic nature. Printmaking, at the intersection of art and craft, is a medium meant to share, to put images and words into the hands of many. We believe art is valuable and should be accessible to all.

What is the last thing you read, watched, or listened to that had an impact on you?

This past Christmas we watched the classic movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” and it’s a reminder that you can engage in business in a way that benefits your community, instead of exploiting it. This is a very poignant message today. The world is not a zero sum game, and we are all better for helping our neighbors however we can. There is room for all to live a wonderful life should we act with care instead of greed.

What’s the one thing people would be surprised to learn about you or your business?

We often state that we have three main themes, Monsters, Marina, and Mythos – but we actually have a fourth, and it is: Cats! We have cats running through a variety of our work, and we are possibly in competition with each other for who has the best cat print at any given time.

What is Creative Collective?

Creative Collective is a group of economic development strategists, small business supporters, activation specialists, and believers in the importance of the creative workforce. We foster growth, sustainability, and scalability for small businesses, creative thinkers, organizations, entrepreneurs, and innovators. Learn more and join Creative Collective at www.creativecollectivema.com/join