WALLA WALLA-Waitsburg artist Bill Rodgers volunteered at the fourth-annual Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. The two-day event, held on Walla Walla's Main street Saturday and Sunday, included a live DJ, a Shakespearean-themed "Pageant of the Dead" performed by local student groups, vendor booths, face-painting, food trucks and a steamroller printmaking event.

For only five dollars, a person 12 or older could carve their own plate and have their design printed. Fabric prints are made by inking relief carved print blocks, laying them upon fabric in sheets or t-shirts, and then driving a small road roller (a.k.a. "steamroller") over them to press the ink into the fabric.

Larger-scale prints were fall relief carving projects created by students of Nicole Pietrantoni at Whitman College.

Brianna Wray

Waitsburger Bill Rodgers inks up a plate for the steamroller to press.

"I dearly love this annual event," said Rodgers, "which is why I have volunteered for the past four years to get my hands turned black while inking the print blocks that participants carve." It doesn't take long for the ink to get everywhere.

Rodgers is the founder of The Waitsburg School of Landscape Photography, through which he and the organization's affiliates offer photographic workshops in the southern Palouse. Though outside of his typical photography media Rodgers is a huge help to budding artists as their visions materialize.

"The turnout this year was amazing - I am guessing double or better than the previous years - at least a gazillion," said Rodgers. The event was sponsored in part by Shakespeare Walla Walla, Whitman College, and ArtWalla, Walla Walla's local consortium of talented and accomplished artists.