NSW Deadline next Wednesday!

NSW 2010 winning print “Mandala” by Kiyomi Baird.

You have just under a week to apply for the 16th Annual National Small Works Exhibition.  Remember, we extended the deadline from the 17th to the 22nd.  Eligible works must be:

• hand-pulled prints (sorry, no digital prints or photographs)
• under 170 square inches (this is the print size , not paper or frame size)
• created within the past two years

This year’s juror is Philippa Hughes of the Pinkline Project.  In addition to founding this calendar/blog, she hosts the very popular Cherry Blast party every year and serves as a DC Commissioner for the Arts.  Ms. Hughes will be picking the 50 prints that comprise the exhibition, and then the winners from those 50.  First prize is a solo show in August of 2014.

You can see all the details about the exhibition and the call for entries here.  Have some other questions? Check out our FAQ.  Good luck!

Press Room Mini Solos 2014

“Entanglements” by Robin Gibson

We’ve had (and have scheduled) some great Press Room shows for 2013, including the current exhibition, In My Nature by Robin Gibson.  Are you a printmaker interested in having a show in the Press Room this year?  It’s great for a student (or student group) just starting to build a resume of solo shows, for an artist wishing to exhibit a smaller body of work or a specific suite of prints, or for someone who wants to try out something that’s a little more experimental–we’re really looking forward to the multi-media installation by Refugee Art Project next month!  As long as the work is 75% related to paper-making, print arts, or book arts, we’ll consider it.  There is NO FEE to apply!  Deadline is August 17, and notifications go out in mid-September.  Want more information? Check out the full prospectus on our website.

Noesis

Pyramid Atlantic founder Helen Frederick has curated the exhibition Noesis: 12 Printmakers Looking Intuitively at the World at the Cosmos Club.  The Cosmos Club is a private club, but we did want to mention the exhibition because we saw so many familiar names, including current members Rosemary Cooley, Jenny Freestone, Trudi Y. Ludwig and Margaret Adams Parker.  Additionally, we’re pleased to see former member Fleming Jeffries and WPG friends Elzbieta Sikorska as exhibitors.  If you are a member of the Cosmos Club (or friends with one!), this exhibition will be up May 16-September 8.

NSW Deadline EXTENDED

NSW 2012 Grand Prize Winner: “Not the Center of the Universe” by Cianna Valley (California), etching, aquatint, and spitbite.

Director Annie Newman will be out of town on the original deadline–which just didn’t seem fair for anyone having any last-minute registration problems.   So, we’ve extended the deadline to Wednesday, May 22 for National Small Works Entries. Remember, this year’s juror is Philippa Hughes of the Pinkline Project and the grand prize is a solo show in August of 2014.  You can read about our other prizes, as well as how to apply, at our website.

Artist Update: Matina Marki Tillman

“Arabesque” by Matina Marki Tillman

Artist member Matina Marki Tillman will be participating in the New York Society of Etchers 3^rd National Exhibition of Intaglio Prints at the National Arts Club in New York. Matina will be exhibiting a representative work from her new series of direct etchings of charcoal drawings onto solarplates as part of this show. The exhibition will run from May 20^th to June 7^th, 2013.

For whoever hasn’t already visited, the National Arts Club is a beautiful, historic gallery in one of New York City’s most elegant neighborhoods. For artists and visitors alike, National Arts Club exhibitions are experiences well worth attending. The opening and artists’ reception will be Wednesday, May 23^rd from 6:30-8:30 pm at the National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, New York City.

ISO Part Time Gallery Director

Hi all, its me, Director Annie Newman.  My husband and I are moving with our two dogs back to my hometown of Charlottesville for a little country living.  Leaving WPG will be one of the hardest things about the move–but it will be made a whole lot easier if we find a great new director!  So, send in your application or pass this on to friends you think would be a good match.  All details, below:

Washington Printmakers Gallery is a co-op gallery with 27 years of dedication to contemporary, hand-pulled prints.  Hosting between 30 and 40 local, regional, and national printmakers, WPG puts on approximately 8 solo shows a year of members’ work, in addition to several specialty group exhibitions and a monthly members’ exhibition.

The Gallery Director is responsible for day-to-day management of the gallery, as well as pursuing larger projects in conjunction with the artist membership, with the end goal of furthering the gallery’s mission of promoting hand-pulled, contemporary print arts.

This is a part time position of 27 hours per week: Wednesday/Thursday 12-6, Friday 12-7, and Saturday 10-5.  Distribution of hours may be flexible depending upon the Director’s needs.  A base salary of $12,600 is supplemented by commission on sales.

Roles and Responsibilities:

The Gallery Director is responsible for:

• Being present at the gallery during opening hours, or ensuring there is competent coverage,
• Hosting events related to the exhibitions, specifically opening receptions (usually the first Saturday of the month) or artist talks,
• Processing sales of artwork on display at the gallery or in any affiliate shows,
• Keeping accurate records alongside the accountant,
• Writing catalogs, designing postcards, drafting press releases, and creating any other media required for exhibitions at the gallery or any affiliate shows,
• Maintaining the Gallery’s social media presence in an active and engaging way through Twitter, Facebook, Constant Contact, etc,
• Writing grants and fundraising reports for WPG’s sister non-profit, Washington Print Foundation (WPF),
• Managing and soliciting additional funds from private donors or other sources for WPF,
• Attend the monthly meetings (usually the last Sunday of the month) to inform the artist membership of all gallery activities and discuss any other relevant matters.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate for Gallery Director will possess the following qualities:

• Completed an arts-related Bachelor’s degree or higher education,
• Knowledge of printmaking,
• Proficiency with Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Publisher, and/or other publishing software,
• Familiarity with area arts and non-profit organizations and practices, including the Maryland Cultural Data Project,
• Direct responsibility for financial, promotional, and/or fundraising management in an arts organization or non-profit setting,
• Experience leading a large board or other diverse group of people to timely consensus on important matters,
• Independent, driven working style and outgoing personality.

 To apply, please send a cover letter detailing any relevant experience or skills you could bring to the job, a resume including professional experience and accomplishments, a writing sample (see below), and three professional contacts to info@washingtonprintmakers.com with “Director Application” in the subject.  An email confirmation acknowledging receipt of your application will be sent during regular gallery hours.  No phone calls, please.

Directions for the writing sample: Chose two artists from the Washington Printmakers Gallery website and write a mock press release for a two person exhibition.

 

Saturday Slideshow: Prints for Mother’s Day

Yes, today is the Kentucky Derby, but next weekend is Mothers’ Day.  Why not get Mom something she can enjoy for much longer than flowers–a print!  Below prints are ALL in the gallery ready for immediate purchase (for you last-minute buyers) and under $100.  Lots more where these came from, come in and see!

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Show Pics: Signs and Seasons and In My Nature

Our opening reception is tomorrow, along with Peggy’s talk at 2 pm!  We hope to see you there to check out some of this great work in person!

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Artist Update: Elise Nicol

“Morning Spills from the Wreckage” by Elise Nicol

WPG member Elise Nicol has an upcoming show at Corners Gallery in Ithaca, NY!  Strange How Hard it Rains Now, an exhibition of pigment transfers on paper, will be on view Friday, May 10 to Saturday, July 6.  Opening reception is  Friday, May 10, 5:30-8 pm.  If you’re in the area, check it out!

In Memoriam: Nuong Van-Dinh Tran

“Floating” by Nuong Van-Dinh Tran

We are sad to announce the passing of one of WPG’s founding members, Nuong Van-Dinh Tran, this past Sunday.  Nuong was part of the original group of printmakers that moved into WPG’s first location on Jefferson Street (just south of Dupont Circle) in 1985.  She continued to support the gallery through three subsequent moves, including the latest move to Pyramid Atlantic.

Nuong trained as a painter and printmaker at the Corcoran, and then received her MFA from George Washington University.  The influence of her Vietnamese culture can be seen in her prints, as she consciously brought feeling and emotion to many of her landscape works using traditional visual short-hand, regardless of whether the subject was Vietnamese or American in nature.  Her work is in the collection of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the National Museum of American Art, The Smithsonian Institution, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and the Library of Congress Fine Prints Collection, to name a few.

“Lin Lin’s Autumnal Dream” by Nuong Van-Dinh Tran

The wife of professor, diplomat, and author Dr. Tran Van Dinh, Nuong was also an activist dedicated to the promotion of visual arts, environmental stewardship, and understanding between cultures.  She voiced strong opinions, but also listened graciously to everyone, and was always quick to smile.  Always a strong supporter of her fellow printmakers, she showed up to every possible opening, and, if she missed one, made sure to come and see the show at another time.  Her dedication to the gallery, unstinting generosity, and stead-fast friendship will be missed by all.