Seeking additional venues--especially on the west coast--for the exhibition, "Press and Pull: Two Decades at the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop," funded by the Terra Foundation for the Arts and supported by Teiger Foundation and organized by Essye Klempner and Jazmine Catasús from the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop (RBPMW), a program of the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts.

In 1947, at a time of deep racial segregation, Blackburn founded The Printmaking Workshop in New York City—one of the first interracial, community-based print studios in the United States. Drawing on his formative experiences in Works Progress Administration (WPA) art centers and Harlem's independent artist-run studios, Blackburn created a space devoted to artistic exchange, experimentation, and mutual support.

Artworks include highlights from the Print Archives, a collection of prints including Romare Bearden, Charles White, Robert Blackburn, Faith Ringgold, Camille Billiops and Betty Blayton - contemporary artists include Chakaia Booker, Nontsikelelo Mutiti, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Dindga McCannon, Baseera Khan and Elliott Jamal Robbins. We also have an interactive educational online platform of the recently completed _The Only Thing That Lasts: An Oral History of Robert Blackburn’s Printmaking Workshop_ funded by Hauser & Wirth Institute and supported by the Dedalus Foundation to be acquired by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
___
The exhibition premiered at the James Gallery CUNY Graduate Center Sept 9 - Nov 15, 2025; opened at MassArt Museum of Art Jan 29 - May 31 2026, and opens at the University of Illinois, Chicago - Gallery 400 this September.

Sliding scale $7,500-$16,000 & Sqft. 1,500 - 2,500.

Full color | Monacelli Catalog - Fall 2027 | Contributors include Adrienne L. Childs, Howard Singerman, Yelena Keller, among others.

An international documentary enquiry, Cartography of Absence, is currently investigating the material history, survival and historiography of engraved cartographic matrices from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Following a year of research involving nearly seven hundred museums, libraries, archives, universities, scientific laboratories, learned societies and private collections worldwide, the project is now inviting the technical experience of practising engravers, printmakers and print specialists.

To my knowledge, practising engravers have rarely been invited to contribute directly to the historiography of engraved cartographic matrices. Their technical experience may nevertheless provide a unique documentary perspective on the manufacture, use and material behaviour of these remarkable objects.

The purpose is not to authenticate historical matrices, but to explore how contemporary engraving practice may help illuminate technical questions that historical documentation often leaves unanswered.

Professional experience will be considered as a complementary documentary source, critically compared with archival, material and institutional evidence within a broader historical enquiry.

Practitioners wishing to contribute observations arising from their professional experience are warmly invited to contact:

Michel Chevalier
Independent Researcher
Project Cartography of Absence
michel.r.chevalier@hotmail.fr

The annual in-person meeting of the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies is Europe’s largest and most prestigious annual conference dealing with all aspects of the history, culture, and literature of the long eighteenth century. We invite proposals for papers and sessions dealing with any aspect of the long eighteenth century, not only in Britain, but also throughout Europe, North America, and the wider world. Proposals are invited for fully comprised panels of three papers, for roundtable sessions of up to five speakers, for individual papers of twenty minutes duration, and for ‘alternative format’ sessions of your devising. The submission portal for proposals will open 1st June 2026 and close 15th September 2026.

While proposals on all and any eighteenth-century topics are very welcome, this year our plenary speakers will be addressing the topic of ‘Artifice and Authenticity’, and proposals are also invited which address any aspect of this theme.

Authenticity was a key concern of the eighteenth century. As traditional means of assessing rank gave way to new understandings of social distinction, the question of who you really were became ever more important. Social standing could now be judged by manners and appearance, but that meant that anybody with a modicum of money and effort could gain admittance to polite society. This created new anxieties about artifice, which often focused on the falsity of fashion. Considerable attention was paid to whether your buckles were made of gold or pinchbeck, and whether they were adorned with precious stones or cheap alternatives.

As the century wore on, concern grew about the falsity of polite manners. This was witnessed by the controversy over the publication of Chesterfield’s letters to his illegitimate son, which appeared to encourage artifice in the interests of social climbing. Later Georgians admired values such as sincerity and candour, and the cult of sensibility lent itself to the outward expression of ‘true’ inner emotion. The Romantic movement celebrated authenticity, and the perspective of the common people was valued as never before. Even the common soldier found a ready market for his autobiographical writings, as readers sought vicariously to experience the profound reality of war.

As it does today, artificiality preoccupied eighteenth-century thinkers. The many innovations of the period sparked concern about how far humanity was diverging from the natural world. Mechanical inventions put artisans out of work or promised to do things that had formerly been done by a human. Automata played the flute, or played chess, like the famous Mechanical Turk that only later turned out to be a hoax. This has parallels with concerns in our own time about artificial intelligence and the threats that it poses to our intellectual and artistic labour.

The questions of artifice and authenticity therefore add to our understanding of the century in a myriad of ways. And given that the eighteenth century was foundational to the modern world in so many respects, it also sheds light on current attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. Papers, panels and alternative sessions that address any of these aspects are welcome.

Some time will be reserved for hybrid panels, allowing scholars to present remotely. Please indicate if you would like to be considered for remote presentation in your proposal. NOTE: this is not a guarantee of remote participation as there are limited spaces available.

Proposals are subject to our terms and conditions: https://www.bsecs.org.uk/conferences/terms-and-conditions/

Webpage: https://www.bsecs.org.uk/conferences/annual-conference/

Enquiries: Any enquiries regarding the conference programme that are not answered on our website should be addressed to Dr Meg Kobza via the BSECS email address conference.academic@bsecs.org.uk

Proposal decisions: Decisions about conference proposals will be communicated via email by 15 October.

Bursaries: Application detail

#24 DATA (Fall 2027)

How does the notion of ‘data’ shape our understanding of the eighteenth century?

This issue queries the role of data in relation to art, visual, and material histories of the eighteenth century: for example, maps as an encapsulation of land-based statistics, the recording of flora and fauna, lists of people and occupations, the making of pattern books, logs of plantation produce, the quantification of goods traded, building/describing archives, the catalogues of collections, taxonomies, census taking, or even journals of voyages and touristic activities in the context of Europe’s maritime expansion into Asia, Americas, and the Pacific. From trade ships carrying porcelain as ballast (that was cataloged diligently) to personal cabinets of curiosity (that are examples of selective data mining), the scale and scope of data building varied. To what extent was the creation of “big data” foundational to the process of empire building? And what sort of products (maps, albums, logs, gazetteers, almanacs) were the result of this information gathering? To what extent can complex, high volume datasets, such as those generated from maritime exploration, account for modes of colonial expansion? What was the nature of intangibles that resisted typification and classification?

The theme of ‘data’ takes a historical view of a phenomenon that is now driving the creation of large data centers and a quest for infinite data, and what critics have described as “data colonialism” and dispossession. This issue seeks to query the idea of humanistic data as something emerging from specific cultural and historical contexts and representations of lives and ideas that were subjective and personal but that nonetheless drove larger conceptual and economic shifts in the context of empire building in the eighteenth century. This issue also encourages papers that bring together ideas from the digital humanities and collection-as-data theory and practice in order to reflect on the eighteenth century.

Issue Editors
Yuthika Sharma, Northwestern University
Clara Drummond, McCormick Library, Northwestern University

Proposals for issue #24 Data are now being accepted. Deadline for proposals: September 15, 2026.

To submit a proposal, send an abstract (250 words) and a brief biography to the following email addresses: editor@journal18.org, yuthika.sharma@northwestern.edu, and cdrummond@northwestern.edu. Articles should not exceed 4000 words (including footnotes) and will be due for submission by April 2, 2027. For further details on submission and Journal18 house style, see Information for Authors at Journal18.org.

In many respects, Rembrandt van Rijn and Peter Paul Rubens could hardly differ more: Dutch vs. Flemish; Protestant vs. Catholic; homebody vs. international diplomat. The divergent identities and milieux of these two iconic Netherlandish contemporaries are reflected in their distinct artistic styles. Broadly speaking, where Rembrandt is intimate and particular, Rubens is monumental and classicizing. The two artists take equally antithetical approaches to printmaking. Hailed as the quintessential peintre-graveur, Rembrandt produced over three hundred etchings after his own designs, while Rubens may have made only one. Instead, the Flemish master commissioned a team of skilled engravers, etchers, and woodcutters to translate his designs into print. Despite the obvious differences between these two artists who never met, some have argued that Rembrandt borrowed from Rubens particular motifs and compositions, workshop practices, and even the concept of printmaking as a means to disseminate his work. Could it be argued that influence flowed in the other direction as well, with printmakers in Rubens’s studio adopting some of Rembrandt’s innovations?

In preparation for a museum exhibition devoted to the prints of Rembrandt and Rubens, this panel welcomes perspectives from both museums and academia that interrogate the oppositions and similarities between the printmaking practices of these two artists. Papers could consider such topics as the relationship between prints and the artists’ work in other media; the concept of the “reproductive” print in each artist’s oeuvre; the role of assistants and the studio; artistic rivalry and influence; intended audiences and the art market; and each artist’s legacy for subsequent generations of printmakers. Panelists with interest in museum exhibitions could suggest groupings of prints, imagine design layouts, or propose visitor engagement strategies that would illuminate the unique contributions of these two titans of the seventeenth century.

To submit a paper proposal, please send a 300-word abstract and a 1-page CV to Holly Borham at holly.borham@blantonmuseum.org by September 15, 2026.

The Mid America Print Council invites the printmaking community to help us put the MAP in MAPC!
In an effort to connect, support, and promote, the printmaking populace MAPC is collecting information for the Printmaking MAP(C), featuring Universities, Printshops, Supply Stores and more. Whether you are looking for specific programing, interested in investigating local shops or supplier options, or simply curious to explore the vast network of printmaking, this map is intended to act as an accessibility and community building tool for those dedicated to all things print.

PLEASE VISIT THE FORM AT THE LINK BELOW, If you are interested in participating and adding an organization to the map. In addition, feel free to interact with the current version of the MAP(C) at https://midamericaprintcouncil.org/.

The DEIA and Membership Committees will be reviewing and uploading requests every two weeks over Summer 2026, with continual updates every quarter thereafter.

CALL FOR ENTRIES
Bradbury Art Museum, Arkansas State University
The Bradbury Art Museum (BAM) invites submissions to the 2027 Delta National Small Prints Exhibition (DNSPE), a nationally recognized juried show dedicated to contemporary printmaking. DNSPE showcases the diversity, technical innovation, and conceptual depth of works on paper while supporting the growth of the museum’s permanent collection.
________________________________________
Deadline: Monday, August 31st, 2026, 11:59PM (CST)
Exhibition Dates: January 29 – March 18, 2027
Juror: Phil Sanders, master printer, educator, author of Prints and Their Makers, 2024, founder of PS Marlowe, a creative services consultancy firm and fine art publisher based in Asheville, NC.
Eligibility: Open to all artists aged 18 or older.
Works must be: Original prints on paper. Created within the past two years.
Acceptable media include, but are not limited to: Intaglio, Lithography, Relief, Serigraphy (screenprint), Digital and photographic processes, Monotype
Not eligible: Reproductions of pre-existing works, Works previously exhibited in DNSPE.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Each artist may submit up to three works.
Images must be: JPEG format (preferred), at least 300 dpi (minimum 2000px on the longest side). All submitted documentation of art works must be publication quality to become accepted works and be reproduced in a full-color exhibition catalog.
By submitting, artists grant permission for images to be used for: Exhibition catalog, promotional materials, and educational purposes.
Unsigned images are preferred.
Selection and Notification: Results will be notified on October 7, 2026. Accepted works must arrive at BAM by November 2, 2026.
Presentation Requirements
Bradbury Art Museum will frame all accepted works.
To ensure proper presentation, works must be: matted or mounted, using only white or off-white matting, or arrive in a ready-to-install state.
Sized to fit one of the following standard dimensions: 16 × 20 inches, 18 × 24 inches, 20 × 24 inches, 24 × 24 inches, 24 × 32 inches. Works that do not meet these specifications cannot be exhibited.
Awards and Acquisitions: Purchase Awards and Juror’s Merit Awards will be announced at the opening.
Award recipients will have an artist statement (up to 100 words) included in the catalog. The artist statement must address the specific work submitted. Please describe the subject matter, the processes and considerations involved in its creation, and the influences that informed it. General or non-specific statements will not be accepted.
Approximately half of the exhibition is traditionally acquired for The Arkansas State University Permanent Collection and Private collectors. Bradbury Art Museum hosts this collection and , for the past 31 years, has amassed an unprecedented archive of contemporary printmaking.

SALES
All works will be available for sale. BAM retains a 30% commission on all sales, including purchase awards. In the event of an unsold work, please indicate whether you would be willing to donate the work to the Bradbury Art Museum’s collection.

ENTRY FEE
$35 (non-refundable),
Includes submission of up to three works.

CONTACT INFO
dnspe@astate.edu
📞 (870) 972-3434
www.bradburyartmuseum.org
Important Note: If you use Gmail, please add dnspe@astate.edu to your contacts to ensure receipt of notifications.

Discourse on the media-reflective and metapoetic dimension of Rembrandt's work has largely focused on the artist’s painting practice. What happens when this methodological attention shifts to Rembrandt’s etchings? His extensive graphic oeuvre has typically been examined through the lens of connoisseurship and/or material analysis, with particular emphasis on the numerous reworkings and states.

This panel proposes an approach that is intended to complement the existing method with a focus on the topoi at work in Rembrandt’s etching practice. Etching involves a sequence of interdependent processes: the preparation of a metal plate coated with a resist, the incision of lines with a needle that exposes the surface beneath, and the controlled action of acid that bites into the plate to varying depths. Revisions may further be carried out directly on the plate using tools such as the burin. These stages introduce elements of resistance, delay, and contingency, as the final image emerges through chemical transformation rather than direct application. The resulting prints can be understood as sites of environmental encounter, where perception is mediated through processes that register the intra-action between bodily gestures, material resistance, and natural forces. The artist’s body engages in dynamic exchange with its environment, foregrounding etching as a medium through which human and nonhuman agencies become entangled.

In the spirit of this question, we welcome papers that approach Rembrandt’s etching as a relational technique shaped by human and environmental agencies, and as a site of experienced “Nature” and environment.

The SGCI Confluence Steering Committee has initiated the conference Open Call for Participation. The Committee is accepting proposals for conference programming like Panels, INKubators, Themed Portfolio Exchanges, Pop-Up Exhibitions, Mobile Events, and Outside the Box Events.

To submit a proposal you must be an SGCI member in good standing. If a proposal is accepted, all organizers and participants must hold an active SGCI membership at the Advocate level or higher to participate in the conference. Please refer to this page for membership tiers. Participants may request an official letter of participation for their records.

Proposals will be reviewed by the Confluence Steering Committee and evaluated according to four criteria: artistic or academic merit, importance to members, diversity, and proposal integrity. See the full criteria and evaluation guidelines for reviewing conference proposals below.

The proposal process includes two rounds. During Round 1, applicants submit proposals to organize conference events. Following the selection of conference event proposals, select formats, including Panels, INKubators, and Themed Portfolio Exchanges, will move into Round 2, when SGCI members may apply to participate in those selected events.

To support broad participation and ensure all voices and perspectives are represented at the conference, event organizers may pre-select up to 50% of their roster. The remaining participants must be selected from the pool of SGCI members who apply through Round 2.

Members may participate in a maximum of one conference event plus one Themed Portfolio Exchange per conference. Members may apply to multiple events, but if selected for more than one, they must choose which event they will participate in.

This policy is intended to make participation opportunities available to the greatest number of members possible.