Founders Show, Washington Printmakers Gallery, 30 September 2018. Photo by Danny N. Schweers
33 Years: Washington Printmakers On Display
Artists’ reception was Sunday, September 30, 2018, 1:00-4:00 pm
A pop-up exhibition by its founding members to commemorate those early years when 26 printmakers decided to join together to create their own gallery.
Launching a coop artist gallery is no small feat; and keeping one running for more than thirty years is a big accomplishment. Earlier this year, American University's Katzen Center honored the artists of the Washington Women's Art Center and the role WWAC played in the DC arts community. Washington Printmakers Gallery is part of the legacy of WWAC; so this is a good time to look back at the gallery's history.Washington Printmakers Gallery was started by a group of artists who met at WWAC. The gallery originated in the spirit of artists supporting fellow artists. Started in 1985, it became a "go to" destination and it has remained the Metro area's primary source for contemporary prints to this day.
Images (from top to bottom, left to right):Jeanne Garant, Dairy Barn, silkscreen, 15 1/2" x 23", 1983; Terry Parmelee, Lucknow, color monoprint, 24" x 30", 1985; Ann Zahn, Assateague Ponies, viscosity etching, 18" x 24", 1985; Nina Muys, Sunflower, etching, 18" x 16", 1982; Carolyn Pomponio, Anatolian Imagery, Screenprint, 17.5" x 12", 1985; Pauline Jakobsberg, Flapper Girl, silkscreen and handmade paper, 26" x 20", 1994; Laura Huff, Amelia Earhart's Lockhead Vega, silkscreen
The long-running success of the gallery is a tribute to the vision and commitment of the artists who started it. To commemorate those early years, this show features the work of "founding mothers" - and the one "founding father" of the gallery. The exhibit will give visitors a chance to see the work of some of the most established printmakers in the metro area, including Ann Zahn, Carolyn Pomponio, Laura Huff, Sarah Stout, Susan Pearcy, Terry Parmelee, Terry Svat, Pauline Jakobsberg, Helga Thomson, Jeanne Grant, Susanna deQuadros, Norman Strike, Nina Muys, Jeanne Garant, Marian Osher, and Debbie Schindler.
The Artist's Reception on September 30th will feature a special presentation to honor the remaining founding members of the gallery, Carolyn Pomponio, Nina Muys, Norman Strike and Helga Thomson, and reminiscences on the history of the gallery.
