As an art form, printmaking is ancient; handprints were stamped onto cave walls in Tibet an estimated 200,000 years ago. Today, printmakers employ a vast range of techniques, encompassing - and often combining - older techniques such as engraving and etching with evolving contemporary technological and digital approaches. From beginners to professional artists, the appeal of printmaking in communities is broad and consistent across the ages, allowing for a particular, pressure-based alchemy with highly variable degrees of structure and freedom. As printmaking equipment is often prohibitively expensive, community print studios are an essential resource for artists of all levels, providing affordable access to equipment needed to produce their work.

Beyond benefiting local artists, community print studios can use their resources to collaborate with their neighbors in remarkable ways. PUF Studios and the Neighborhood Print Studio are two examples of Hudson Valley print studios whose creative programming promotes equity and strengthens their communities. PUF’s innovative program HRH Made, for example, trains people to rejoin the workforce after a period of homelessness by producing a range of screenprinted wares, both new and upcycled. D.R.A.W.’s after-school program, PUGG, provides young people with paid, professional work experience to launch careers in the arts. Both studios run regular public sessions to invite people into the experience of printmaking, and have become hives of local creativity and inclusion. We hope this exhibition and series of free events will illuminate the multifaceted work of community print initiatives and encourage you to join, and support, your local print studio.