Walk down a quiet stretch of Bushwick, and you might miss it. A clean, sunlit storefront tucked between bodegas and artist studios. Step inside, though, and you’re hit with the hum of risograph printers, the smell of ink and paper, and the buzz of creative energy: this is Secret Riso Club.
Founded by Gonzalo Guerrero and Tara Ridgedell, the space has grown from a single machine in a living room to a full-blown studio with a mission that spans publishing, education, design, and activism. We sat down with the founders to talk about where it all started and why printing still matters.
How did the Secret Riso Club get started?
Tara: Gonzalo started it back in 2017. We were really good friends at the time, having met through DIY spaces in New York. I was doing screen printing, and he had just been offered an exhibition opportunity that involved learning how to use a risograph. Gonzalo was working in corporate graphic design but looking for something that felt more aligned with his values. I was teaching high school in the public school system for about ten years. Our work styles just clicked. The Secret Riso Club began in a very simple way. Gonzalo had the printer at home, and we were just making things. Slowly, we started offering workshops. Then, during the pandemic, when prices dropped, we got a shared studio space. I had been running my own project called Practice Print, so over time, everything naturally blended.
You’ve grown quite a bit since then. What does the Secret Riso Club look like now?
T: A year ago, we moved into a bigger, storefront space, which was our first real public-facing studio. It has given us the room to expand everything, including workshops, panels, book launches, and public programming. It’s a full creative studio, with graphic design, creating consulting, and publishing projects happening at the same time. We’ve worked with institutions like MoMA and other museums. We also have a bookstore that features independent publishers from around the world.
It sounds like you’re doing a lot. Was any of it planned?
Not at all. None of it was planned. It all came out of doing what felt right and taking our time. Gonzalo and I have been really intentional about going slow, checking in with each other, and checking in with the people around us. We’re both doing this full-time now, which is incredible. But New York is expensive, and it’s a 24/7 job. That balance between running a business and protecting our friendship is something we work on constantly.
If someone wants to print a book with you, how does it work?
There are a few options. You can take a workshop to learn the process and operate the machines yourself. We also do contract printing, where people send us their files, and we handle everything from setup to final printing. Some folks already know how to use the riso, so we have a membership programme where they can come in and print themselves. And for those just testing the waters, we also offer drop-in appointments.
What kind of stuff do people print? Any surprising trends?
Mostly self-published work, like artist books, poetry, illustration, visual art, and posters. Sometimes, we print more utilitarian items, such as pamphlets or voter guides. We recently worked with Soft Power Vote around the local mayoral elections. Riso machines were originally document printers, so using them for political work kind of brings them full circle.
What role do you see print playing in today’s world?
A big one. Part of what motivated us to create the space was realising how few copy shops are even left in New York. We have a volunteer group making a print-only newsletter that lists local protests and activist events. We also publish a monthly music zine that highlights independent gigs and interviews. Those are very direct ways we’re trying to get information out, off the screen and into people’s hands.
Tell us about the bookstore. How do you curate it?
We started with books that had been really influential in our own practice about graphic design, DIY publishing, and subjects that align with our ethos. We also stock a lot of books from other small publishers we’ve connected with. Some are just beautiful examples of what riso can do, which is super helpful for the workshops we host here.
What’s next for the Secret Riso Club?
We’re about to celebrate our one-year anniversary in the new space! We’re throwing a big fundraiser at the end of July to help support everything we do. We’ve also been in Mexico City for the book fair, and we launched a book we co-published with a studio there. We’re also prepping for the New York Art Book Fair in September. Around that time, we usually put together a satellite fair to give more artists and publishers space and a way to help cover their travel costs. And we’re publishing new books next year.
