Heights Arts presents: Printers Select 2021 exhibition

When we think of art, it’s easy to think of a painting hanging in a museum, or a large sculpture in a park. But art comes in many forms, and to close out 2021, Heights Arts is excited to present the Printers Select exhibition, running August 20 through October 17th.

Curated by treasured local artist Liz Maugans, the show features art from six artists new to Heights Arts. These artists were tasked with bringing in a special second artist for the exhibition-someone who made a significant impact on their lives and studies. The participating artists and their partners are Hannah Manocchio and Sampson the Artist; J. Leigh Garcia and Nina Battaglia; Orlando Caraballo and Ed Lugo; Anna Tararova and Amirah Cunningham; Shadi Ayoub and Bob Kelemen; and Omid Shekari and Kristina Paabus. The print medium has expanded over the years and continues to evolve by combining with other forms like painting, mixed media, and even sculptural work to convey artists’ complex stories.

“The polarities, interventions, technical processes and intersections that exist in print media; the commercial and fine art, political and protest his/herstories; the abstract,representational and unique prints; all fuel the energy of this deliberately delicious round up of artists in their etchings, lithographs, risographs, screen prints, monotypes, and letterpress/relief prints,” says Maugans.

Featured artist Anna Tararova uses print media to make sense of the gray, disconnected areas of life.

“There is an urgent need for humanity to reconnect with nature in order to experience a harmonious and peaceful existence. I have been searching for a way to express this idea through my artwork and found it in paper making,” she explains. “Paper made from plants and recycled materials could be a sustainable solution to many ecological and economic problems the world is facing today. Using fiber that was sourced locally also contributes to my work conceptually by creating a connection between subject and place.”

The Printers Select exhibition runs in the Heights Arts gallery alongside the Spotlight Showcase featuring the work of print artist Nicole Schneider. Her work explores control and perfectionism through the lens of her familial relationships with other women, and how these relationships have influenced her relationship with motherhood. Visitors can view the exhibitions in-person at Heights Arts’ Lee Road gallery and sign-up for the accompanying Ekphrastacy-Artists Talk and Poets Respond series on September 23rd.