 What is so special about printmaking? Fans and members of Washington Printmakers Gallery (WPG) can tell you: Famous artists through-out history have used techniques such as intaglio (as Rembrandt did), silkscreen (as Warhol did), or woodblock (as Dürer did) to create some of the most enduring images of all time. All of WPG’s prints are hand-pulled, original works of art made by the artists themselves, not a machine or hired printer. Many are one of a kind, the rest are from limited editions. Many of these original works of art are under $250, allowing new buyers to begin building up a solid collection for a reasonable sum. Finally, prints come in every size and aesthetic imaginable, so there’s bound to be something for everyone at WPG.
WPG grew out of the Washington Women’s Art Center’s printmaking discussion group. Carolyn Pomponio, a DC artist and printmaker, chaired the meetings of this group for several years, where the subject of having a gallery dedicated solely to printmaking was brought up time and again. “Creating the gallery took just over two years, including a preliminary 18-month phone survey of some 40 printmakers (in 1983, there was no email or IM!),” Carolyn wrote in “The Washington Printmakers Gallery: A Cooperative Art Gallery Turns 20,” her 2005 article for the Washington Print Club Quarterly. The group found a location, set up by-laws, and committed 30 printmakers to the gallery, which opened in May 1985 on Jefferson St, NW, just south of Dupont Circle.
The goals that Carolyn Pomponio and the rest of the founding members created for the gallery are the same today as they were from the start: WPG remains dedicated to the display and sale of its members' artwork and to educating the public about the history and future of original, hand-pulled prints. The gallery remains a co-operative, allowing artists to set their own prices and have a true voice in the promotion of their artwork.
As the gallery has grown, so have its programs. WPG will hold its 14th annual National Small Works Exhibition in August 2011, an exhibition open to printmakers nationwide, juried by a different juror every year. In addition, WPG hosts a January Invitational, inviting outside printmakers to exhibit their work, and in February 2011 held the first annual Excellence in Printmaking exhibition—a juried exhibition of work by up-and-coming printmakers in greater mid-Atlantic MFA and BFA programs.
After 25 years in Dupont Circle, WPG moved to Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Silver Spring, MD. While a little off the beaten path, the larger space allows for more dynamic and larger exhibitions. Under the guidance of current Director Annie Turner, the gallery has actually seen an increase of interest in exhibitions since its move, this in the form of articles in the local paper, increased show attendance, and growth in all of WPG’s social media outlets. With the help of the members, Annie continues to develop programs that increase exposure of member artists as well as educating the public about original, hand-pulled prints. Currently in the works are an educational exhibit on five basic printmaking techniques at the Ronald Reagan National Airport Gallery Walk (July 2011), and an exchange exhibition with printmakers in Shanghai (October 2011 and June 2012).
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