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!
Here’s some red prints to celebrate! Maybe one is right for your Valentine?
If you aren’t on either of their mailing lists, let us be the first to share the news: The beloved water-based printmaking ink company, Akua, is being acquired by Speedball. This means that these inks, which many artists claim as essential in setting up a non-toxic studio, will become more available and easier to find through Speedball’s larger distribution abilities.
Artist and Akua co-creator Susan Rostow says of the acquisition:
I believe this union is the right next step for Akua. After spending a lot of time with Speedball discussing our mutual goals, I know they share the same passion for providing artists and students with a wider range of high quality products for safer, traditional and contemporary printmaking. Speedball has an excellent facility and team of highly qualified professionals who will ensure the quality of Akua remains through the transition in manufacturing. I believe that Speedball is the perfect home for Akua and I am thrilled to see my baby placed in such good hands.
Also, both the Akua website and Facebook page will remain up and running , with the information, print gallery, video demos, and online shopping cart that users rely on now.
Posted in Printmaking, Uncategorized
Tagged akua, non-toxic printmaking, speedball
So sorry we haven’t been posting more pithy entries, but we think these photographs might explain what we’re up to. Running an art gallery is so much more than hanging the show!
We’ve been busy sending prepping all the books (and accompanying labels, display equipment, sign-in sheets…) for this weekend’s Book Arts Fair…
…with the help of two gallery members and the gallery intern we’ve finished stuffing, addressing, and stamping the 2012 fundraising letter (this is less than half of them!)…
…we’ve also signed in most of the work for the upcoming Mentor/Mentee show at Brentwood Arts Center…
…not to mention ordered the January postcards, booked gallery rentals, install our new credit card reader, and more–yikes, look at that desk!
A few weeks ago we mentioned that 2013 will be the first year Excellence in Printmaking goes national. Meaning, this exhibition is now open to MFA and BFA candidates focusing on printmaking anywhere in the continental United States, instead of just the greater mid-Atlantic. We’re so excited to open this exhibition up to more deserving artists, but with that wider scope comes larger costs. Just to get the word out about the call for entries will cost about $500 (if we don’t spread the word, who will apply???) Costs add up from there.
Traditionally, these costs are funded by entry fees. But, if there’s one entity that faces harder financial times than a fine art organization, it’s a fine art student! We’d love to be able to have them enter for free, and that’s where you come in. Donate to our Excellence in Printmaking Goes National project on Go Get Funding to help us out! If we reach our funding goal, we’ll refund any entry fees we’ve received so far and lower any further entrant’s fees to $0!!! There’s some pretty sweet thank you gifts, too. Check it out and donate today!
Image Credit: Aaron Coleman
Artist and printmaker Aaron S. Coleman is a graduate student at Northern Illinois University. Within the last year he has been coordinating a group of internationally known printmakers and artists in an effort to spread knowledge and appreciation for the mezzotint medium. Aaron has been working with the mezzotint technique for 2 years now. As a self-taught mezzotint artist (you can see more about his process here), in a field where few practice the technique, Aaron wanted to reach out to other printmakers working within the medium. The portfolio on exhibit next month at WPG hosts 17 internationally established artists including Michael Barnes, Julie Niskanen, Linda Whitney and Kouki Tsuritani to name a few.
The artists in the portfolio were selected by Aaron to represent a wide range of influence, style and conceptual direction. The prints in the portfolio display artists working in the realms of abstract, hyper-realistic, conceptual, illustrative and contemporary art. Both Sides of the Brain is a themed portfolio that explores ideas of duality.
Each of the 17 artists created an original edition of 19 prints to contribute to the portfolio. The two extra portfolios will be donated to the printmaking archives of Northern Illinois University where Aaron is finishing his Masters of Fine Art degree and Herron School of Art where he received his Bachelor of Fine Art degree. The exhibition schedule jumps off in Indianapolis at Herron in August of 2012. From there, the portfolio will be shown at Northern in September and the Washington Printmakers Gallery in Silver Spring Maryland in October. There are two exhibitions in 2013 at the University of Missouri and Lamar D. Fain College of Fine Arts in Texas. This is sure to be an amazing exhibition for all mezzotint, printmaking and art enthusiasts.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Aaron Coleman, julie niskanen, mezzotint, print portfolio, The Press Room, WPG
