American Impressions 2012: National Juried Printmaking and Book Art Exhibition

Press Release

American Impressions 2012, a national juried exhibit of traditional and digital print print media and book art by 28 professional artists from across the United States, will be on view at the William Paterson University Galleries from January 30 through March 9, 2012. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. An opening reception for the exhibit will be held on Sunday, February 5, from 3 to 5 p.m.; in case of snow, the reception will be held on Sunday, February 12, from 3 to 5 p.m.

The exhibition, in the South Gallery of the University’s Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts, includes a variety of printmaking media, including woodcut, etching, monotype/monoprint, lithography, intaglio, silkscreen, and processes involving photography-derived imagery and digital collage. The exhibition was juried by Elizabeth F. Spungen, executive director of The Print Center in Philadelphia. Forty-three artworks by 28 artists were selected by Spungen from nearly 500 works submitted by 181 artists. The artists featured in the exhibition hail from 15 states.

“For the best part of a century, the juried exhibition has played a valuable and significant role in the print world,” says Spungen. “The artists who submit take the opportunity to bring their work outside of the studio, introducing it to the juror; sometimes this reveals a promising talent, or a new direction from a familiar hand. This exposure is especially valuable to the emerging artist, and through this process, I have attempted to support artists whose work indicates significant potential for growth.”

The grand-prize winner is Katie Murken of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who will receive a solo exhibition in the University Galleries in 2013. Murken’s winning work, which will be purchased by the University Galleries, is “Half-listening,” an artist book that incorporates inkjet, woodcut, and screenprint.

Other honorees include Ryan Parker of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, first prize; Andrew Kozlowski of Richmond, Virginia, second prize; and Sarah Bryant of Wilmington, Delaware, third prize. Honorable mention recipients are Jennifer Anderson of Roanoke, Virginia; Anthony Lazorko of Mesilla, New Mexico; Anna Mavromatis of Houston, Texas; and Mary Hood of Tempe, Arizona.

Other artists in the exhibition are Diana Behl, Frol Boundin, Randy Clark, Donna Diamond, Nicholas Dowgwillo, Julia Elsas, Eduardo Fausti, Diane Fine, Caroline Furr, Veronica Hanssens, Cat Jensen, Mario Laplante, Jonathan McFadden, Alice O’Neill, Amy Pirkle, Nicolette Ross, Sara Sanders, Donna Savastio, Cynthia Thompson, and Josh Winkler.

Spungen has served as executive director of The Print Center in Philadelphia since 2006. During her tenure there, her curatorial efforts have included Black Pulse: Doug + Mike Starn (2007); Nakazora: space between sky and earth: Masao Yamamoto (2008); and the upcoming Silver Mine, a retrospective exhibition of the work of photographer Robert Asman. Spungen has been on the curatorial staff at the Institute of Contemporary Art, The Fabric Workshop and Museum, and Bryn Mawr College, and was president of the Chester Springs Studio and the Arcadia University Art Gallery. From 2002 to 2006 she headed Liz F. Spungen Fine Art, specializing in works on paper from the greater Philadelphia region. She received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the history of art from the University of Pennsylvania.

American Impressions 2012 is one of three exhibitions on view concurrently in the William Paterson University Galleries. On view in the East Gallery is Karla Hackenmiller: Liminal Spaces, a solo exhibition of etchings, collages, and monoprints by the grand prize winner of American Impressions 2011. In the Court Gallery is Cerebral Spirits: Stalking the Self, a group exhibition curated by Suzanne Anker that explores the way concepts in neuroscience research have been incorporated into visual art practice.

This exhibition is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The William Paterson University Galleries are wheelchair-accessible. Large-print handouts are available. For additional information, please call the Galleries at William Paterson University, 973-720-2654.