Artists' Showcase
A Brief History of the Artists’ Showcase
Since its inception in 1994, the annual Artists’ Showcase remains one of the most popular and well attended events of the Print Club. A committee, led for many years by Dr. Muriel Moss, has the challenging task of finding five artists to present each year. They cull their selection from artists’ studios, galleries, the Art Students' League and print workshops such as the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop and the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk. Selected artists are invited to submit slides and then the committee serves as jury to choose five finalists.
The artists are invited to make a brief presentation in which they discuss their development as artists and show some of their works, followed by questions from the audience. After the five presentations, each artist is assigned a table to display his or her portfolio and offer their prints for sale. It is a wonderful opportunity for both the artist, who meets new collectors, and also for the Print Club member, who can purchase the artwork directly and meet the printmaker.
The concept behind the selection process is to seek artists who are not yet well represented by commercial galleries. It has been rewarding to follow career paths and see how successful many of the participants have become. Highlights of the exhibit include the fact that so many different styles and techniques are represented. The artists are also incredibly diverse geographically. Most come from around the United States, but there have been artists from as far away as Japan, South Korea, Argentina, Chile and Russia.
On a number of occasions over the years, the Showcase has been hosted at the National Arts Club at Gramercy Park in New York. This location, a historic icon in the art world, has always added to the experience. Many members have continued to stay in contact with the artists they met at the Showcase and have continued to purchase their work.
In March of 2011, we hosted an exhibit of Prints from our Members' Collections that were purchased from the Artists' Showcases 1994-2010. It was on view at The National Arts Club for two weeks.