The 2015 Celebrating Print Exhibition
December 7 – January 13
venue: BBLA Gallery at Bohemian National Hall, 321 East 73rd Str, New York 10021
opening reception: Tuesday, December 8, 6:30-8:30PM
curated by Mildred Beltré and Katerina Kyselica

KADS New York presents the 2015 Celebrating Print Exhibition—the second annual survey of contemporary fine art prints by artists of Central and Eastern European backgrounds. Forty print projects present variety of themes, ranging from gestural records of personal experiences, images exploring the man’s role in society, his relationship to nature, perception of time, questions of man’s existence and identity.

Selected by New York-based artist, printmaker and Associate Professor at University of Vermont Mildred Beltré, the 2015 Celebrating Print Exhibition features works of artists who search for new ways in the practice of traditional printmaking, whether through a choice of materials, combination of techniques or by exploring work methods. Twenty-nine artists from thirteen countries demonstrate printmaking’s increasingly active and viable position in contemporary art-making.

“In choosing the projects 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.

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 Artists are:
Roman Balaz, Andre Berger, Tobias Crone, Maria Erikson, Beth Ganz, Sadko Hadzihasanovic, Jana Hubatkova, Kama Jackowska, Gergely Karpati, Anna Kenar, Weronika Marszelewska, Eva Nikolova, Kristina Norvilaite, Darina Peeva, Jindrich Pevny, Tatiana Potts, Maria Simeonova, Ana Sladetic, Lenka Stepanikova, Eszter Sziksz, Lenka Vilhelmova and Mojca Zlokarnik.

The 2015 Celebrating Print Challenge features paper objects by seven artists who include printmaking in their artistic practice: Mildred Beltré, Douglas Collins, Jay Judge, Alena Laufrova, Katerina Kyselica, Franco Marinai and Yasuyo Tanaka.

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 and hosted by Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association (BBLA) at Manhattan’s Bohemian National Hall 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 in December 2013, presenting over sixty fine art prints – etchings, lithographs, woodcuts and mixed media prints from twenty-seven renowned Czech and Slovak artists.

KADS New York is a New York-based print dealer and consulting studio. Established in 2010, KADS New York has been regularly showing Central European prints at various venues in New York and other states as well as organizing educational events in partnership with other cultural institutions.

BBLA (Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association) is a not-for-profit organization established in 1891 in New York City with an office and exhibition space at the historic Bohemian National Hall. The mission of BBLA is to preserve and support Czech and Slovak culture in New York City.

Featured image: Lenka Vilhelmova, Letter to the Innocent II, 2015,drypoing, soft-ground, etching, mezzotint, offset, 47 1/4 x 31 1/2 inches