It has been my desire for some time now to connect with printmakers of the upstate of South Carolina for a collective print portfolio. I shared this idea with printmakers Phil Garrett and Andrew Blanchard who responded positively. And my retirement from teaching art for twenty-nine years gave me the time to pursue it.
Initially I thought of setting up a simple print exchange between fellow printmakers. But in the latter part of 2010 I mentioned this idea in a conversation to Kim Sholly of the Metropolitan Arts Council in Greenville, S.C. and her response was that MAC would be interested in hosting a print exhibit and had an opening for it in September of 2011. This news opened up new possibilities.
I applied for a collaborative grant, contacted the printmakers I was familiar with and set up a meeting in February of 2011 to discuss the venture. The printmakers who agreed to the project are from the upstate counties of Anderson, Greenville, Pickens and Spartanburg. And what started out as a print exchange has developed into a local exhibit, and a traveling show representing the prints of fifteen upstate South Carolina printmakers.
The fifteen artists included in this exhibition by county are:
Anderson- Syd Cross
Greenville- Wells Alewine-, Kent Ambler- Jim Campbell, Marty Epp-Carter, Kevin Clinton, Daniel Cvammen, Phil Garrett, Luis Jaramillo, Catherine Labbé, Mark Mulfinger
Pickens- Steven Chapp, Katya Cohen
Spartanburg- Andrew Blanchard, Jim Creal
The various printing media that are represented in the works include color intaglio from copper and zinc plates, lithography, screenprint , relief from wood and linoleum; representing color reduction and wood engraving, photopolymer intaglio with chine collé.
I believe that this portfolio represents some of the prominent printmakers in South Carolina and demonstrates inventive and masterful handling of a variety of print media. The portfolios are contained in a clamshell archival presentation box, and the edition number is twenty four, of which fifteen are exchanged, one is framed and eight are for sale.
