Delta National Small Prints Exhibition Begins Third Decade
JONESBORO – Delta National Small Prints Exhibition begins its third decade with a public reception 5‑6:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Bradbury Art Museum on the campus of Arkansas State University.
Included in the exhibition will be 50 prints by 50 artists from across the country and abroad. The works in the exhibition range from traditional imagery and printmaking techniques such as engraving and lithography to monotypes and experimental print mediums.
The DNSPE exhibition continues through Feb. 26. The public openings for two other new exhibitions at BAM, "Local Color" and "Nurture Nature," will coincide on the same evening.
The 2017 DNSPE juror was Ann Prentice Wagner, curator of drawings at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock. She reviewed and carefully chose the works for inclusion in the exhibition and also determined which would receive awards. In correspondence during the selection process she commented about the quality of the prints entered this year, noting how outstanding the submissions were.
According to Wagner, “An exhibition like this helps to spread the word – but what is the word? 'Print' has become a complex word that often perplexes people in today’s media-saturated world. We hear the word print used more often to refer to what comes out of a computer printer than to refer to the original productions of artists.
"I often hear people ask if prints can truly be fine art works. I ask these people to remember the etchings of Rembrandt; I remind them that artists today still approach printmaking as the 17th-century master did. They still create powerful images, craft their matrixes, ink their matrixes, make sure the results come out beautifully on paper," Wagner continued. "Fine art prints are not just cranked out mechanically by the thousands like posters you can buy in a gift store – they are made with care by masters. That is, they are printed in limited editions.”
Les Christensen, director of BAM stated, "Over the years it has been our good fortune to work with knowledgeable, thoughtful and qualified jurors. This year Ann Prentice Wagner, a highly skilled specialist in contemporary works on paper, used her vision and expertise to shape the 2017 DNSPE. She is a consummate professional who is dedicated to her field, and we are honored to have her as our juror.”
This annual exhibition is made possible by many generous individuals and organizations who provide the financial and practical assistance necessary to produce the exhibition and catalog. Additionally, several outstanding artists receive purchase prizes, and their works become part of the Permanent Collection and juror’s merit awards.
A full color catalog of the entire exhibition will be available at the opening reception.
Hours for BAM, which is at 201 Olympic Dr., are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, and by appointment. The exhibition, the catalog and the reception are admission-free and open to the public. For additional information please contact the museum at (870) 972-2567.
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