In these times of unprecedented information consumption, it’s easy to lose sight of our humanity.

Too often, critical discourse in our communities about how we treat each other gets swept up in whatever “hot button” topic is overwhelming our daily lives. We then lose the ability to see, think and listen clearly. It’s as if all the “informational noise” in the world takes away our ability to empathize with one another.

Art, in all its forms, can offer mental and emotional space so people can digest and think about what the artist is working to relate — perhaps simply because of the physical presence of the artwork in a space.  A person who has chosen to engage with an exhibition has the opportunity to contemplate beyond what we all get to see on our myriad screens.

The “Mark of Empowerment”exhibition has been presented as part of the 2022 Mid America Print Council Biennial Conference “Power of Print” hosted in mid-October by the Kent State University School of Art in partnership with the University of Akron, Cleveland Institute of Art, Zygote Press and The Morgan Conservatory.

Curated by Roberto Torres Mata, this exhibition “reflects on how printmaking takes action to speak out with activism. The work challenges racism, sexism, environmental injustice, social inequalities, infringement upon civil rights, and colonialism.”
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The strength of the exhibition is in the beauty and skill of the artwork, along with the subjects of the artists. The Emily Davis Gallery at the University of Akron is full of expressive, colorful, deeply important and thoughtful works that can quite simply take your breath away as you walk through the galleries.

“Burnt Water, A Prophetic History of California” by Los Angeles-based artist Israel Campos is certainly one of the standout works in the exhibit.

Presented like a Mayan codex, the work is full of brightly colored illustrations that also pay homage to the Maya in the illustrative style of the artist and in how the work folds out like an accordion.

While it’s not necessarily easy to understand all that is being told in the piece, the fact that we are looking at a detailed work made to look like a Mayan codex is an active commentary in itself, because very little of the Mayan language survived as the Spanish burned the majority of their writing. 
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In “Burnt Water,” Campos utilizes earth tone colors in the background of all the images, contrasting with bright colors for most of the subjects depicted in the overall story to help make the imagery stand out.
The artist's style helps to pull your eye through the length of the piece and keeps you engaged and wanting to look at it more.

“Survivance Series 11 and 12” are two haunting works by artist Monty Little. Little is Diné (Navajo) and from Tuba City, Arizona. He is also a former U.S. Marine.

In these prints, a central image has been obscured by overlaid images of water and black crosses or plus signs that are repeated throughout both works. There are cultural references here, as the cross pattern is a traditional Navajo pattern and water plays a significant role in Navajo culture.
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Little’s work relates what feels like deeply personal experiences. The obstructed view of each subject gives a sense of a cloudy history or even an erased history. It’s as if the artist is trying to help us see but can’t bring things into complete focus because it is no longer possible.

A series of four dynamic chine-collé etchings by Dakota Mace titled “The Way Things Are” helps bring voice to the artist's subject. Each etching features the same image of an elderly person sitting in front of a wall with text written on it. The work on the far left is as detailed as a photograph. As you move from left to right, each portrait becomes less detailed though the writing remains legible. 
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These works are offset by a wall that is painted orange. This may seem like a trivial addition, however, it helps pull your attention to the work and around the part of the gallery the work is exhibited in.

Some of the most powerful pieces in this exhibit are a series of prints on handmade bags by artist Carlos Barberena. 

“No Human is Illegal,” features an image of a migrant worker carrying potatoes in a 5-gallon bucket. The image has a patterned background and is surrounded in a rococo-style frame with the title of the work written on a scroll going across the bottom. The entire composition is on what looks like a shopping bag.

This is a fairly obvious commentary about capitalism, wealth and the ways in which we maintain our economy, and our politics. An illustrated image like this challenges our notion of who these workers are and helps humanize the subject. 

​“Mark of Empowerment” does more than give visitors a “moment” to ponder reality through what might be an unfamiliar lens. It also gives a voice to people who are too often drowned out through our more conventional means of obtaining information.
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The importance of visual arts' ability to communicate and as at the curator states “challenge the status quo, preventing inequities in systems and rejecting establishments,” in exhibitions like this one cannot be overstated.

Exhibit: Mark of Empowerment
Where: Emily Davis Gallery, University of Akron
When: Through Dec. 20
Hours: Monday–Friday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
More information: 330-972-6030 or uakron.edu/art/galleries

OPENING RECEPTION: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 5:00PM - ​
BRADBURY ART MUSEUM, ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, JONESBORO, AR
​Open to Public: FEBRUARY 17 - MARCH 30, 2022

Founded in 1996 by Evan Lindquist, the Delta National Small Prints Exhibition has received great acclaim as it has grown to be one of the country’s foremost annual competitions for prints.

The Delta National Small Prints Exhibition was created with students in mind. It is meant to be a resource for printmaking students and instructors to view and assess contemporary standards of printmaking as they develop over time. This creates an environment for learning opportunities and creative thinking, promoting new ideas which stretch the limits of the medium. In addition, it is an outreach program which serves as a resource for the region, bringing attention to printmaking as a medium but also sharing the variety of stories told by each individual piece.

There are few restrictions to the eligibility of this renowned print competition. Photographs are allowed in addition to prints as a means of giving the image priority over the technique. Unusual approaches are encouraged - unique impressions and digital imagery that are historically excluded from print exhibitions. This allows and encourages artists to push the limits of printmaking and creatively express themselves in new and revolutionary ways.

The range of images shown in DNSPE represents the spectrum of contemporary printmaking. Many artists work with traditional materials that require meticulous precision such as wood and metal engravings. On the opposite side of the print spectrum, the digital and technological influence of photographic processes and digitized images presents itself more each year.

Each year, a juror reviews all submissions and selects which ones will be exhibited. The juror for DNSPE 2022 will be Miranda Metcalf, the founder and host of Hello, Print Friend – a contemporary printmaking podcast. With an archive of over 100 episodes with artists and print advocates from over 20 countries on 6 continents, Hello, Print Friend is the most extensive archive of interviews from the print world on the internet. Miranda planted the seeds for her love of printmaking with five years as director of Davidson Galleries in Seattle, Washington, before moving to Sydney, Australia, and working with Cicada Press.

All jurors seem to agree on one fact, that the selection process is very difficult. Looking at hundreds of prints and narrowing the selection down to 55-60 in a few days is no subtle undertaking. Jurors continuously comment on the wide variety of techniques and imagery from both emerging and established artists who create an overview of what is happening technically and conceptually across the nation.

The original concept of DNSPE was developed around a dream to make Jonesboro, Arkansas an epicenter for art and culture. This has proven true in the growth of our significant collection of contemporary prints from around the world. As part of the exhibition, BAM strives to give back to the artists who contribute to this exemplary exhibition by purchasing a large portion of the show to add to their permanent collection, but it would not be possible without the support of the amazing group of community members who provide purchase prizes and exhibition support each year.
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Viewing hours are Tue-Sat 12PM-5PM. For more information about Bradbury Art Museum or to learn how you can support future exhibitions, please call (870) 972-3687.

"THE CONTEMPORARY PRINT"  Juried by John Hitchcock
OPENING RECEPTION: FRIDAY, JANUARY 14TH, 7:00PM - 10:00PM
ON VIEW: BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
JANUARY 15 – FEBRUARY 15, 2022
BIG MEDIUM
916 Springdale Rd, Bldg 2, #101 Austin, TX 78702
Gallery Hours: Thursday - Saturday: 12 - 6 PM - By Appointment Only
- To allow for social distancing, appointments will be scheduled every 30 minutes, with a maximum of 10 guests at a time. Scroll down to schedule an appointment with at least 24 hours advance notice. - Masks are required at all times -.
Reserve your spot HERE.
(512) 939-6665 / info@bigmedium.org 

The Contemporary Print is PrintAustin’s annual juried exhibition and features an independent survey of the traditions and innovations of contemporary printmaking. We are thrilled to partner with Big Medium for this year’s exhibition, as well as welcome selections by our juror, John Hitchcock, Professor and Associate Dean of the Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Works in The Contemporary Print demonstrate the dynamic and fluid nature of printmaking happening today, offering distinct styles and techniques that give way for diverse narratives. While some artists find inspiration in their experiences of identity, immigration, and the human condition, others focus on a technical dialogue, drawing from their individual practice in other mediums as it translates into the printmaking language. While non-traditional or digital output is accepted as a print element, submissions must utilize traditional print media as their primary technique, including lithography, relief, intaglio, silkscreen, and monotype.
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ARTISTS
Richard Ricky Armendariz, Carlos Barberena, Michael Barnes, Mary Becker, Stephanie Berrie, Matthew Bindert, Sarah Bogdal, Raj Bunnag, Kyle Chaput, Jennifer Clarke, Briar Craig, Andrew DeCaen, John Dobbie, Sarah Drummond, Stefanie Dykes, Juana Estrada
Hernandez, Craig Fisher, J. Leigh Garcia, Keith Garubba, Bob Goldstein, Jon Greene, Jayne Reid Jackson, Wesley Kramer, Lauren Kussro, Sophia Larsen, Andrew Lawson, Jun Lee, Beauvais Lyons, Benjamin Moreau, Steven Munoz, Edie Overturf, Tatiana Potts, Catherine Prose, Lars Roeder, Debrah Santini, Chadwick Tolley, Lisa Turner, Terry Vatrt, Brandon Williams.

About the Juror
John Hitchcock (he/him,/his) — Hitchcock is a Professor and Associate Dean of the Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he has taught printmaking for twenty years. Hitchcock uses the print medium with its long history of commenting on social and political issues to explore his relationships to community, land, and culture. Hitchcock’s artwork consists of abstract representations, mythological hybrid creatures, and military weaponry. His artworks are based on his childhood memories and stories of growing up in Oklahoma. Many of the images are interpretations of stories told by his Kiowa/Comanche grandparents and abstract representations influenced by beadwork, land, and culture. Hitchcock has made prints with MATRIX Press, Hannaher’s, Inc. Print Studio at Plains Art Museum, and this summer with Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts.

For The Contemporary Print programming, events and information visit printaustin.org
​Evening appointments are available through PrintAustin on January 14, January 21, and February 10, 7-10pm. Reserve your spot HERE.

Nicaraguan Printmaker Carlos Barberena was awarded with "The Elizabeth Catlett Memorial Award" in the 2021 MAPC Juried Members' Exhibit juried by Mildred Beltré and Jennifer Hughes.

The winners were announced on Friday, October 15th, 2021 by the Mid America Print Council MAPC: Carlos Barberena for "Undocumented" - ESSENTIAL: For Your Colonizer Comfort - Series (The Elizabeth Catlett Memorial Award); Alex Fox for "Ecydis Remains" (First Price); Nicolas Tisdale for "Dichotomy Up Down III" (Second Prize); and Mizin Shin for "Use Your Voice #StopAsianHate "(honorable mention).

The Exhibition is open to public at the University of Iowa's Drewlowe Gallery

Mid America Print Council 2021 Members’ Juried Exhibition!
The exhibition, juried by Mildred Beltré and Jennifer Hughes
On View: October 6 – November 6, 2021
In-Person Opening Reception: Friday, October 15, 6PM to 8PM
Virtual Event: Saturday, October 16 at 10:30 AM, CST
University of Iowa School of Art & Art History
Image credit: Emily Orzech

Thanks to Blick Art Materials, McClains Printmaking Supplies and MAPC Award fund for sponsoring these prizes.