The Newcastle Printmakers Workshop (NPW) is celebrating its  40th year anniversary with an exhibition at Art Systems Wickham from November 8 to November 24th.

 

The exhibition is called 40/40 and 40 Newcastle printmakers have been allocated one of the 40 years to interpret as they wish.  Many artists have chosen significant world events, whilst others have found inspiration closer to home.  Each work is framed, but also there is an installation of artists' books made from the 40 prints. It demonstrates how a work on paper can be diversely exhibited.

 

Having such a history of exhibiting in Newcastle, NPW decided to combine two significant historical exhibitions as inspiration for 40/40.  The exhibitions were called the Miniprint and the Bookprint.  The Miniprint was traditionally a small print, framed and was toured around NSW.  The Bookprint was an edition of 26 prints, bound into a large format book, and was a collector's item.  The Maitland Regional Art Gallery has several in its collection.  The 40/40 exhibition is a 28 x28 cm print, framed and will be toured, whilst the edition of 12 ensures that artists books can be made and sold as a collector's piece. 

 

The Newcastle Printmakers Workshop is a significant  institution in the Newcastle art world.  For 40 years NPW has offered studio space for printmakers to use – it offers space and presses for etching, silkscreen, lithography and a darkroom for exposing plates. It now has an exhibition space as well. NPW is run by volunteers and it is a testament to the Novacastrian artists who keep it as a lively and functioning art space.