Printing the Bay Area

Listen to the Dry Grass
Gail Morrison
Etching with aquatint

An all-printmaking show - images of the Bay Area, including two etchings of Bay Area weeds from GAW member Gail Morrison.

In the 1337 Gallery of Art Works Downtown, 1337 Fourth Street, San Rafael. 415-451-8119.

Two receptions, Friday June 13 and Friday July 11, 2014, 5 to 8 p.m. June 13 is also San Rafael's Second Fridays Art Walk. In addition the gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Historic Prints from the Graphic Arts Workshop - Don't Miss It!

City Skyline, by Louise Gilbert

On Sunday, March 30, 2014, from noon to 5 p.m. we will be having an Open House here at the Graphic Arts Workshop, 2565 Third Street, #305. The Open House is being held in conjunction with Bridges, the annual conference of the Southern Graphics Council International, the largest printmaking organization in North America.

This will be different from our usual open studio and sales events, because we are delving into the GAW archives to put historic prints from members over the years on display. Many of these reflect the social activism of the early members of GAW. It is very rare that these prints are seen at all, let alone put on display – don’t miss it!

Mission Art Walk - Alley Cat Books Gallery show

Linocut, by Elan Kamesar

Many current members of the Graphic Arts Workshop are participating in the Mission Art Walk being held in conjunction with  Bridges, the annual conference of the Southern Graphics Council International, the largest printmaking association in North America.

The self-guided walk takes place Saturday evening, March 29, 2014, from 6 to 9 p.m. and includes 17 different venues, all featuring printmaking and works on paper.

Our show will be at the Alley Cat Books Gallery, 3036 24^th Street, San Francisco. There will be a reception Saturday evening from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The Gallery will also be open from 10 a.m. on Saturday, and Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Click here for a map of the Walk and more information.

California Etchers Currents

Alice Gibbons: Pier 70, Beaux Arts Entrance

California Etchers Currents is an exhibition of work from Bay Area artists who primarily work with etching, encompassing techniques ranging from traditional to contemporary. Multiple generations of artists illustrate different approaches that can serve to anchor one generation of printmakers to the next.

The exhibition also bridges various Bay Area printmaking communities that exist independently and have no formal relationship with each other, such as the Graphic Arts Workshop, Kala Art Institute, and CCSF Fort Mason, as well as the studios of various independent printmakers.

Click here for more information.

Holiday Sale at the Graphic Arts Workshop

Ten printmakers – 5 from the Graphic Arts Workshop and 5 from the California Society of Printmakers – are teaming up for a Holiday Sale at the Graphic Arts Workshop on Friday and Saturday, December 6 and 7, 2013.

A wide variety of original fine art prints, cards, and other items will be on display and available for purchase. Participating artists: Alice Gibbons, Mary Huizinga, Gloria Morales, Gail Morrison, Kitty Wehrmeister, Joan Finton, Barbara Rogers, Maryly Snow, Lila Wahrhaftig, and Linda Yoshizawa.

The event is free, and all are welcome! 

The Graphic Arts Workshop is located at 2565 Third Street (on the Muni T line), #305, in San Francisco’s up-and-coming Dogpatch neighborhood. On Friday, December 6, 2013, there will be an opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. The sale will continue Saturday, December 7, 2013, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

In addition, on Saturday there is a giant “warehouse sale” half a block away. Four blocks of 22^nd Street will be closed so neighborhood businesses and others can showcase and sell their wares (Third Street and intersections will remain open). 

Hope to see you there!

Come Join the California Society of Printmakers Centennial Book Launch Party

California Society of Printmakers (CSP) invites members of the Graphic Arts Workshop to attend our centennial book launch party at the SF Center for the Book this coming Thursday, Nov. 7, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. The gorgeous books will be for sale, and you can avoid the $10 shipping and handling fee by purchasing your copy in person. And the Graphic Arts Workshop is cited in Art Hazelwood's essay on pages 17-19, 23, 25, 28, 30, and in Sylvia Solochek Walters' essay on page 116.

Book sales, reception, exhibit, 6 Vandercook presses running a centennial keepsake printed by the attendees.

The book, California Society of Printmakers: One Hundred Years, 1913-2013, is 300 pages long with 387 reproductions, a preface, a foreword, 7 essays, 8 appendices, a glossary, bibliography, and 2 indexes. The book was published in a limited edition of 400 copies.

Hard bound copy $65

Soft bound copy $50

Books are available online at http://www.caprintmakers.org/publications/csp-centennial-book/

Open Studio Was A Success

The Graphic Arts Workshop has its fall Open Studio on Nov. 1-3. It was a great success. The event drawn over 200 enthusiastic visitors and some of them are buyers. Many are interested in the artists' work and about the workshop as a whole. There were many interests in becoming a member and participating in our printing class offers.

Here are photos of the event. Participating artists were Lise Currie, Eddie Lee, Cynthia Milionis, Gail Morrison, Andrey Semyonov and Barbara Stikker.

Interested in learning about line etching?

al line etching by Rembrandt

A three-session class introducing the process of line etching using hard ground on zinc plates may be held at GAW in December on Monday evenings  - the 2nd, 9th and 16th - from 6:30 to 9:30. This class would be geared towards those with no printmaking experience who would like to understand the basics of etching. 

 The class would run with a minimum of 4 students, a maximum of 6, and will cover all the steps of creating a hard ground line etching, from applying the ground and drawing the image through printing and some basic ways to apply a single-colored background to the image. The $120 class fee includes all materials - a zinc plate (4"x6", or 4"x4"- depending on your design, ground, solvents, acids, inks, paper etc.)

About solvents: the GAW is not a non-toxic printmaking environment; people with chemical sensitivities should know that although there is ventilation for the acids and solvents and gloves are provided, oil based inks will be used, and mineral spirits are used in the shop for clean up.

Again, this is a class for people with no etching experience who are curious about the process. And yes, if you want to make your design into a card, that's possible too! For any questions or to sign up please email: gawprintclass@gmail.com 

Open Studio at the Graphic Arts Workshop

The Graphic Arts Workshop has been a hotbed of fine art printmaking in San Francisco since 1954, and is opening its doors during the first weekend in November as part of San Francisco’s Open Studios.

In contrast to today’s world of technology, many of the techniques used at GAW are centuries-old, although most have modern (and less toxic) refinements. They include etching, woodcut, linocut, letterpress, monotype and monoprint, lithograph, screenprint, and endless combinations and variations.

A wide variety of prints of many types and price-points will be on display and available for purchase.

In addition to seeing the art and hanging out with the artists, this is a great opportunity to get an inside look at a working fine art printmaking studio, and find out how etchings and other prints are created.

Participating artists: Lise Currie, Eddie Lee, Cynthia Milionis, Gail Morrison, Andrey Semyonov and Barbara Stikker.

Open Studio hours: Friday, November 1, 2013: reception 6 to 9 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday, November 2 & 3, 2013, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Roadworks Printing Festival!!

GAW artists Alice Gibbons and Gloria Morales will be sharing a table at the San Francisco Center for the Book's 10th anniversary Roadworks festival this Sunday. From 11 to 4 on the 29th, a team of printers will be printing 3 x 3 foot linocuts with a steamroller on Rhode Island street, offering tours of SFCB and mini-workshops, and of course there will be food and artist vendors!
More info on the SFCB Roadworks page.
Here's a quick look at some of the work Alice and Gloria will have at their table:

Gloria Morales "Ramaje"

Alice Gibbons "Firehouse in Dogpatch"