ABOUT
Why This Studio Exists
Dao Art Press is an artist-run printmaking studio in the historic Spring Arcade Building in Downtown Los Angeles. It was created for experienced printmakers who want a quiet, focused place to work independently and produce prints with intention.
The studio supports intaglio, relief, monotype, collagraph, viscosity printing, and mixed process work. It exists for artists who are actively engaged in their practice and who value precision, autonomy, and access to professional equipment without classroom structure.
The Space
I fell in love with this space the moment I saw it. The Spring Arcade Building has history, character, and a quiet energy that fits printmaking. When you walk in, you enter directly into the studio. At the far end, there is an opening to the living area, but the studio functions as its own dedicated space.
The layout is long rather than wide, which matches the printmaking process naturally. Printmaking is linear: prep, ink, wipe, print, dry. The studio flows with that rhythm. Being downtown was important to me too. I wanted to be close to the art, culture, and energy of the city, and this location holds all of that.
About Don
I’m Don Dao, a Los Angeles-based Vietnamese American artist working in experimental collagraph and viscosity printing. After years of printing in shared studios, I built Dao Art Press to create a quiet, well-maintained space where experienced printmakers can work independently and focus on their process. You can see my artwork at dondao.art.
The Philosophy
Dao Art Press exists to support serious makers who want a dedicated place to push their work further. Here, printmaking is treated as a contemporary art form: process-driven, materially rich, and grounded in skill. The studio provides the conditions needed for ambitious projects to become real.
This is not a teaching studio or a drop-in workspace. It is a place for printmakers who already know what they are doing and want the time and space to do it well.
Location
Dao Art Press
541 S Spring St
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Inside the historic Spring Arcade Building on Gallery Row.