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!

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.

NSW 2012 Artist News

“Winter Canyon” by Scott Barnes

We were happy to receive to notifications from two artists that were included in National Small Works about their ongoing projects, which we wanted to share here.

First, you may remember our post about Funding for Artists, and we mentioned Scott Barnes’ Kickstarter project, which was used to fund the creation of his Grand Canyon Suite.  We’re happy to report that Scott received full funding (and more!) for that project.

 

Graphic Chemicals Purchase Award: “Turf” by Curtis Bartone, two-plate aluminum lithograph

Second, we just received an invitation to Curtis Bartone’s ongoing exhibition “Reclamation: Etchings and Lithographs” at the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (Calgary, Alberta).  This exhibition is comprised of 18 etchings and lithographs that place some of nature’s “undesirables” (such as the grub in “Turf,” in or on “desireable” human landscapes (such as the suburban neighborhood in “Turf.”  If you’re in the area this weekend, the opening reception for this show is TONIGHT at 5:30 pm, and Curtis will give an artist demonstration TOMORROW at 1 pm.  If you’re going to be in the Alberta area sometime in the next few weeks, the exhibition will be on view through October 13.

Cianna Valley: In her own words

An introduction to the 2012 NSW Winner.  Cianna’s solo show will be here next August!

 

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

I am a printmaker and mixed media artist based in Oakland, California. I moved here from Hawaii to pursue a degree in graphic design but quickly realized that wasn’t for me and ended up earning my BFA in printmaking from the California College of the Arts in 2011. Currently I am setting up a small print studio and trying to start up some collaborative projects involving other printmakers. My main focus is aquatint etching on zinc, but I’m also drawn to screen printing and monotype so I try to find ways to incorporate the various techniques into one cohesive aesthetic.

The winning print is actually titled “Not the Center of the Universe or the Gateway to the Cosmos” but I had to shorten it for this show because the entry form wouldn’t allow such long titles. It is part of a larger body of work which includes small mixed-media sculptures, large print-based installations as well as several other etchings. The work is based on the idea of being able to capture images from the past while taking into account how the accuracy of the image is affected by the passage of time. Unlike photographs, which capture a scene at the exact moment it occurs, prints allow fact to blend with fabrication. Childhood memories can be viewed through an adult lens of understanding while people and places of the past and present overlap. Themes of value, loss and ceremony mingle with those of chance, magic and celebration creating a kind of grounded fantasy world that is anything but utopia.

Intern Perspectives: Hannah Phelps

Intern Laura D.’s last post for the summer.   Good luck next semester, Laura!

The solo artist this month is Hannah Phelps with her exhibit entitled Plein Air to Print which includes works done in woodblock, woodcut, and a few oil paintings.

Phelps’ style is mostly colorful landscapes with minimum detail. The colors she uses, and the way she blocks them, gives the audience the sense of the landscape, without the intimate details of the sand or grass.

Out of her works, a piece entitled Surf and Rocks done in oil paints, portrays a darker day at the beach with the tide rolling into the rocky shore. While it may from afar blur into a wad of colors, up close, the detail of the brush strokes shows the foam on the surf and grim on the rocks. Phelps does an excellent job here, and in her other oil paintings, of portraying the landscape and making the viewer feel like they could be standing right there.

“Calm Day at Fort Stark” by Hannah Phelps

Her woodcut and woodblock work is much blockier – as the names would suggest. Calm Day at Fort Stark is a piece done in woodblock, where the blocked colors of blues, browns, and oranges show the intense difference between the water and the rocks. And unlike Phelps’ Surf and Rocks this piece is left to the imagination of the viewer to imagine the light ripples going through the water instead of the intense foam from the tide that is detailed in the oil painting.

Phelps brings a strong sense of style to this exhibit with a consistency that is perfect for a solo artist show here at Washington Printmakers Gallery.

Pics from the NSW 2012 Opening Reception

Local photographer Nick Hoffman was kind enough to photograph this event for us.  Enjoy!

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Intern Perspectives: National Small Works

Intern Laura D.’s take on this year’s NSW Exhibition:

“Giraffe” by Judith Panetta.

At Washington Printmakers Gallery this month is the 15^th Annual National Small Works. The works presented are small, just as the title of the exhibit suggests. The smallest is a piece by Judith Panetta that is entitled Giraffe that is enclosed in a makeup compact. While there are definitely larger pieces, this piece stands out the most for its size, as it really takes on the ‘small works’ title.

There are many types of print works that are among the gallery this month, everything from lithography and letter process, to dry point, to woodcut. You name it; it’s probably presented in at least one piece in the gallery.

“Untitled VI (after Antikythera Youth)” by Phiotos Paris Goudas

The one that stands out to me the most however, is entitled Untitled VI (after Antikythera Youth) by Photios Paris Goudas. A small screen print on paper, this piece uses bright, almost neon, colors to show what looks like a portrait of a person. The background is a mismatch of shades of black and deep greens that make the blues and pale green-yellow pop out against it. Amongst the other print works, this caught my attention because of said colors. While there are many detailed pieces surrounding Goudas’ work, it draws attention to itself with the color. A neighboring piece by Nicholas Dowgwillo entitled every little splintered bit of us is much quieter. A detailed piece that does not scream at you from across the room, even so, up close it speaks for itself and the title explains it all upon further inspection.

The 15^th National Small Works is a huge success, and gives the viewers a sense of understanding for why so many of these artists do what they do – the nation is filled with many talented artists, and Washington Printmakers is excited to be able to show all of these works.

2012 NSW Winners

Thanks again to our juror Brian Garner for his time and thoughtfulness in selecting a great show.  In case you weren’t at today’s opening.  The winners are:

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

Tran Van-Dinh Award: “Indiana Statues” by Kathryn Trillas (Virginia), monotype.

Graphic Chemicals Purchase Award: “Turf” by Curtis Bartone, two-plate aluminum lithograph

3rd Prize, $150 Gift Certificate to Utrecht Art Supplies: “Twilight of Togetherness” by Nicholas Dowgwillo (Arizona), collaged lithograph.

4th Prize, $100 Gift Certificate to Renaissance Graphic Arts: “Sunday” by Carrie Lingscheit (VA), etching, mezzotint, drypoint.

Honorable Mention: “Io Lo Vidi (I Saw This)” by Jason Scuilla (KS), traditional and electrolytic etching.

Show Pics: 15th Annual National Small Works and Plein Air to Print

It’s up!  The 15th Annual National Small Works is up!  So is Plein Air to Print, the solo exhibition by the 2011 Grand Prize Winner, Hannah Phelps.  You can see installation shots of both shows in the slideshow, below.  And you know what else?  We know the winners for this year!  But you’ll have to come to the opening on Saturday (1 pm) or check back late that day to learn that information.  A full list of exhibiting artists, their state of residency, and prints exhibited is below the slideshow.  Enjoy!

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Scott Barnes, New Jersey, Winter Canyon
ScottBarnes, New Jersey, Havsu
Curtis Bartone, Georgia, Turf
Heather Bryant, Virginia, Virginia
Lisette Chavez, Texas, Transience
Kevin Cummins, Pennsylvania, LX
Nicholas Dowgwillo, Arizona every little splintered bit of us
Nicholas Dowgwillo, Arizona twilight of togetherness
Holly Downing, California It’s All Connected
Rochelle Easton, Illinois, Meant To Be
Leslie Friedman, Pennsylvania, Nasty Button
Leslie Friedman, Pennsylvania, Temple Tile
Jon Garaizar, California, The Malpias
Jon Garaizar, California, The Fissure
Nicole Geary, South Dakota, Secondary Sediments : VII
Robin Gibson, Pennsylvania, Tidal Field
Photios Paris Goudas, Maryland, Untitled VI (after Antikythera Youth)
Erin Hoffman, Michigan, Solar Radiation Climate Satellite
Erin Jenkins, Connecticut, Flora Globes
Carrie Lingscheit, Virginia, Sunday
Leon Loughridge, Colorado, Water Pockets
Erin Malone, California, Something Still Remains Undone
Susan Martin, North Carolina, Untitled (Decoy 7)
Lynn Merriam, Massachusetts, Palm Burst
David Moyer, Pennsylvania, Triumph R 2
Jake Muirhead, Maryland, Bay Head
Jake Muirhead, Maryland, Artichoke
Deb Napple, Pennsylvania, Darkness Which Could Be Felt
Thomas Nawrocki, Mississippi, Choloroform Cloud
Thomas Norulak, Pennsylvania, Driftwood
Anna Ottaviano, New Hampshire, Grand Central
Judith Panetta, Pennsylvania, Giraffe
Tracy Pilzer, District of Columbia, Expedition 1
Johntimothy Pizzuto, South Dakota, What is Left After Meaning
Iris Posner, Maryland, Row Boats
Ann Schuster, Maryland, In These Silences Something May Rise
Jason Scuilla, Kansas, Io lo vidi (I saw this)
Jason Scuilla, Kansas, In the Pines
Gordon Sherman, Kansas, Seraphic I
Gordon Sherman, Kansas, 69er portrait
Mike Sonnichsen, North Carolina Untitled #4 from the 8×8 Series
Hope Sorensen and Cynthia Tidler, District of Columbia, Nebula
Kathryn Trillas, Virginia, Indiana Statues,
Cianna Valley, California, I could use a partner in karma, she said
Cianna Valley, California, not the center of the universe
Anna Wagner, Ohio, Untitled (3)
Jeff Wetzig, Minnesota, Paper Trail: Malevich,

Sneak Peek #2: National Small Works 2012

We’re so excited!  National Small Works goes up next week!!!  If you haven’t marked your calendars yet, make sure to pencil in the Opening Reception and Awards Announcements, next Saturday August 4, 1-4 pm.  Juror Brian Garner will be announcing the winners and 2011 winner (and 2012 solo artist) Hannah Phelps will be joining us all the way from New Hampshire!  For now, enjoy our 2nd sneak peek of the great works in the upcoming show.

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