FAU Presents ‘Expanding Printmaking: South Florida Artist Run Presses’

Image Caption: To be posted shortly

The University Galleries in Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters will re-open to the public with the exhibition “Expanding Printmaking: South Florida Artist Run Presses,” which will be on display from Saturday, Jan. 29 through Saturday, March 6, in the Ritter Art Gallery, Boca Raton campus.

There also will be an open house on Friday, Feb. 12 from noon to 7 p.m., which will start at the opening of a concurrent printmaking exhibition titled “Corridos Visuales: Traditions & Innovation in LatinX Printmaking” in the Schmidt Gallery This exhibition will feature 10 LatinX artist printmakers. The exhibitions and open house are free and open to the public. 

Individuals at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 (including older adults and people of all ages with certain underlying medical conditions) are encouraged to avoid in-person events and gatherings. FAU requires that visitors to campus wear face coverings at all times and physical distancing must be observed at all indoor and outdoor events and gatherings. Numbers will be limited for visitors to the galleries during exhibition open hours. For the open house, attendees must register online for their desired start time at www.fau.edu/galleries (starting Monday, Feb. 1).  

Image Caption: To be posted shortly

“Expanded Printmaking” is co-curated by Carol Prusa and Joseph Velasquez, both professors in FAU’s Department of Visual Arts and Art History teaching painting and printmaking respectively. By presenting examples of more than 20 artists produced at six different printmaking studios, this exhibition celebrates the vibrant range of art being made through artist-run presses. “Expanding Printmaking” will present a spectrum of contemporary prints and artist books. These works use traditional techniques and processes as well as more contemporary strategies that stretch our ideas about printmaking and artist’s books.

The exhibition celebrates the existence and the exemplary and collaborative work embodied in six regional independent artist press operations including Ingrid Schindall’s IS Projects, Fort Lauderdale; Tom Virgin’s Extra Virgin Press, Miami; Kim Spivey’s Ground Printmaking, West Palm Beach; and Ali Norman’s Labyrinth Studios, Tampa. Two state university printmaking and book arts operations round out the presentation including Flying Horse Press, University of Central Florida directed by Theo Lotz, and FAU Library’s Jaffe Center for Book Arts at FAU.

Printmaking in America experienced a renaissance in the 60s and 70s as artists revived centuries old processes for the creation of contemporary artworks in limited editions, making their artworks accessible to larger audiences. This interest in prints motivated the creation of printmaking studios dedicated to serving artists and further developed hand-made prints including the artist book, which often meant the collaboration of authors, artists and printmakers. The collaboration and hand labor necessary to create lithographs, etchings, wood-block, silk screen and letter-press prints spawned another wave of interest in printmaking more recently as digital media increasingly infiltrated the visual arts. The artist run presses and university embedded printmaking and book arts studios and collections represented in “Expanding Printmaking” reflect this current movement to not just sustain, but expand printmaking in our increasingly digital world.

The artist printmakers presented in “Expanding Printmaking” vary from smaller one-person operations like Kim Spivey’s Ground Printmaking which specializes in the use of non-toxic inks and solvents and Tom Virgin’s Extra Virgin Press which is committed to artists books and letter press that employs historical wood and metal type. Ingrid Schindall’s IS Projects is more varied in its approaches and programs and includes studio rental and artist-in-residence and internship programs. Ali Norman’s Labyrinth Studios offers numerous printmaking, art and yoga classes designed to engender community. This is in contrast to the Flying Horse Press at the University of Central Florida which prints and sells limited edition prints by well-known invited artists. Finally, the Jaffe Center for Book Arts at FAU was started in 2000 when a world class collection of artists books were donated to FAU’s Wimberly Library by Arthur Jaffe. The center has developed to include numerous workshops and an annual artist-in-residence program that provides visiting artists a chance to use the collection’s various historical presses along with a paper making studio. All of these artist printmakers share a practice of working with other artists to preserve, perpetuate and expand the long tradition of collaborative printmaking and connection to community.

FAU’s University Galleries are open Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. School and group tours can be scheduled by appointment by contacting Ashley Utley at UGMuseumEd@fau.edu. The Schmidt Center Gallery is located in the Performing Arts building (building #51), near the Living Room Theaters. The Ritter Art Gallery (building # 39) is on the second floor of the Breezeway immediately east of the Wimberly Library. Daytime visitors must obtain a temporary one-day parking pass online for $5 at http://parking.fau.edu to park in Parking Garage 2 for Schmidt Center Gallery, and Parking Garage 1 for Ritter Art Gallery.  There are also parkmobile mobile app meters near either gallery that accept credit or debit card payment

University Galleries exhibitions and programs are supported by the Isadore and Kelly Friedman University Galleries Fund; Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs and Florida Council on the Arts; and Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. Museum Education programs are made possible in part by the Kaye Arts Integration Endowment.

For more information call 561-297-2661, email galleries@fau.edu, or visit fau.edu/galleries