Prints on exhibit at OU
NORMAN — The Oklahoma Printmaking Network’s traveling exhibition of prints from artists across the state is on display at the University of Oklahoma School of Visual Arts’ Lightwell Gallery.
The exhibition will run through Sept. 8, with a closing reception scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 5, in the same location. A brief talk about the OPN will be delivered at the closing reception. Members of the public are invited to attend both the exhibition and reception. There is no cost to attend.
“The OPN is a virtual network of artists who identify as printmakers, no matter how traditional or conceptual their media and techniques,” explained Laurence Reese, founder and exchange organizer of OPN. “It was founded with the intent of connecting printmakers across the state. Initially an online listserv, the OPN started hosting physical events, including meetups, critiques and workshops.”
The portfolio of 25 prints featured in this exhibition range from lithography to woodblocking, from monotype to silkscreen, and many more. The artists range from students to career artists, and come from all across the state. The exhibition was juried by Catherine Prose, associate professor of printmaking at Midwestern State University, Texas.
“In part, this portfolio is a time capsule, and captures a glimpse of what kind of work is being made across the state,” Reese said. “Printmaking is a broad term for several specific techniques, but also connotes an approach to artistic practice.
“Printmakers are craftspeople, with oral and kinetic traditions,” he added. “There is a particular culture in the print shop, and bringing printmakers together, across distance and career levels, helps us see connections and collaborations form between previous strangers.”
The Lightwell Gallery is located on the second floor of the OU School of Visual Arts, 520 Parrington Oval, in Norman. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is closed on weekends and OU holidays.
For more information on the OU School of Visual Arts, visit art.ou.edu. For accommodations, call 405-3252691 or email art@ou.edu.