Delta National Small Prints Exhibition to open at Bradbury Gallery, Jan. 17
For the 18th consecutive year, the work of highly talented and creative artists from across the country will be displayed at Arkansas State University in a show that began with one professor’s dream.
Founded in 1996, the Delta National Small Prints Exhibition (DNSPE) was the creation of Evan Lindquist, emeritus professor of art, who served on the faculty from 1963 to 2003. His intent was for this exhibition to become a permanent feature on the ASU campus, helping to enrich the community’s cultural experience.
DNSPE 2013 will open to the public at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 17, and continues through Feb. 20 at the Bradbury Gallery in the Fowler Center on the campus of Arkansas State University.
This exhibition is dedicated to Don A. Tilton of Little Rock, a former vice president at ASU. According to Les Christensen, director of the Bradbury Gallery, Tilton is a devoted supporter of the gallery and this exhibition; he has been involved since its inception.
“He has worked behind the scenes to provide significant financial assistance and, when necessary, expert advice in keeping Mr. Lindquist’s dream alive.”
Funding for the DNSPE is provided through the generosity of several individuals.
Artists from across the country and around the world submit their prints annually to be considered for inclusion in this exhibition. Each year, as the popularity of the show increases, a greater number of artists from a larger number of states and countries apply.
These entries are then reviewed by a nationally respected expert who determines which prints will be included. The juror, as the position is called, also selects all of the award winners, including the purchase prizes that become a part of the ASU Permanent Collection of Art. This blind process is done without the juror knowing the name or location of the artists; only the title, medium and dimensions of each print are known.
This year’s juror, Anne Coffin, selected the 55 prints by 46 artists that make up the 2013 DNSPE. Coffin is the founder and director of International Print Center New York (IPCNY), a non-profit institution dedicated to the appreciation and understanding of fine art prints.
Since its opening in 2000, IPCNY has presented some 40 juried contemporary shows through its New Prints Program and an additional 22 shows focused on prints of a particular theme, medium or genre, or from another culture such as India, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Scotland, Finland or Russia.
Many exhibitions have toured to second venues across the country following their presentation in IPCY’s Chelsea gallery. A former journalist, Ms. Coffin is active in a number of non-profit cultural organizations in New York City.
While describing her work as juror for DNSPE, Coffin commented, “My selections process was pragmatic yet intuitive. I began by running quickly through the submissions to get a sense of the scope of the project; even at that point in the process several prints jumped out, demanding attention. I began a ‘maybe file’; the second and third times through, many more asked for another look. Many required multiple viewings as I wanted to be sure my reading of the print was fair. Soon, 90 had migrated out of the “big” file to form my initial selections. Already I regretted some of those that had been left behind, and went back to retrieve them. Reluctantly, I made some cuts, coming up with a final list, singling out prints that, for me, exemplified competence or mastery of technique in harmony with a commitment to a concept or idea that drove the project through to completion.”
She continues, “Toward the end of the process, I looked also for dialogues between prints, pairings that I thought would strengthen the exhibition. I hope the show will convey the excitement I felt as I reviewed the work, looking closely at each of the submissions, sensing the adventure of creating a work of art with the fascinating array of tools available to artists in the medium of printmaking.”
A full color catalog of the entire exhibition will be available at the opening reception.
Bradbury Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, and by appointment. The exhibition and the reception are admission-free and open to the public. For additional information please contact the Bradbury Gallery at (870) 972-2567.
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