On Wednesday, Aug 16, 2023, MIA received a box that was about the size of most of the students. This box contained Mr. Eder’s new, massive printer.

At the end of the 2022-2023 school year’s second semester, MIA art teacher Rob Eder obtained a grant for a new, very large canvas printer for his classroom. The printer is used to print out designs, patterns, images, and more on canvas rather than traditional or poster paper. Eder received the grant from Marco Island Foundation for the Arts (MIFA) for $5,000. 

Eder plans to use the printer for any large projects that he can. The printer requires at the minimum one monthly use, but Eder plans to try to use it weekly in order to keep it in good condition.

According to Eder,  the printer will be used for his class, and for corresponding art shows outside of school. There is an art festival that he and several students are slated to take part of on November 11th and 12th. The students participating will get a chance to display and sell their art while keeping an estimated 40% of the profits for themselves. The rest would go to the art salespeople and to Mr. Eder’s class.

“There’s basically nothing more real than money.” Eder wants the students to feel the reward they got from their artwork.

“If a student knows that there is a possibility of making forty bucks off of a picture, they’re going to want to pay attention to details and make it as nice as possible,” said Eder. He hopes that exposure to the printer will help enable students to immerse themselves more in the art world.