The second annual survey of contemporary fine art prints—the 2015 Celebrating Print Exhibition. The presentation includes a juried exhibition and the CPC2015 Challenge: Homage to Kveta Pacovska.

Exhibition opening: Tuesday, December 8, 6:30 - 8:30 pm.
Guided tour of the exhibition: Thursday, January 7, 6:00 - 7:00 pm. RSVP: info@kadsny.com.

Selected by a New York-based artist, printmaker and Associate Professor at University of Vermont Mildred Beltre, the 2015 Celebrating Print Exhibition introduces thirty-three projects by twenty-two artists of Central and Eastern European backgrounds from Bulgaria, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and the USA. The selection represents a variety of printmaking techniques, including intaglio, relief, lithography, screen print, lenticular print and monotype.

"In choosing the twenty-two projects featured in the exhibition I let myself be guided by visual pleasures, lingering over the imagery, and at times lack thereof, in the works. I sought to select pieces that can show viewers a wide spectrum of what contemporary printmaking can do, choosing projects that represent diversity of techniques and visual language. Especially interesting to me is seeing traditional printmaking used in surprising and innovative ways, resulting in works that demonstrate printmaking’s increasingly active and viable position in contemporary art-making.

It was a joy to look through the submissions—works steeped in traditional printmaking techniques with a definite contemporary twist, rich with masterful line work, color, fantastical narrative and whimsy. Consequently, I chose works that I feel fall more or less into four categories: Narrative, Graphic Line, Non-idealized Figuration, and Evocative Texture and Color.” ——Mildred Beltre, CPC2015 Juror

The 2015 Celebrating Print Challenge is dedicated to the oeuvre of the renowned Czech visual artist and illustrator Kveta Pacovska, and features paper objects by seven artists who include printmaking in their artistic practice.

The 2015 Celebrating Print Challenge Artists are:
Mildred Beltre, Douglas Collins, Jay Judge, Alena Laufrova, Katerina Kyselica, Franco Marinai and Yasuyo Tanaka.

For the second time, Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association (BBLA), a non-for-profit immigrant organization sponsors a cash award for the best print in the show. The 2015 BBLA Cash Award will be announced at the opening on December 8.

Celebrating Print Competition (CPC) is an annual survey of contemporary fine art prints, focusing on recent works by artists of Central and Eastern European backgrounds. CPC is organized by KADS New York with the mission to raise awareness of the tradition of the region’s printmaking and encourage explorations in contemporary original prints. The first Celebrating Print Exhibition entitled Masters of Czech and Slovak Printmaking took place at BBLA Gallery in December 2013, presenting over sixty fine art prints—etchings, lithographs, woodcuts and mixed media prints from twenty-seven renowned Czech and Slovak artists.