The objective of the WVU Printmaking Department is to create a professional studio atmosphere for undergraduate and graduate printmaking students.  Artists are required to learn intaglio, lithography, silkscreen, relief, and digital/photo based printmaking techniques.    While there is an emphasis placed on both tradition and personal exploration; no style or technique/process is valued over another.  The quality of individual work is the essential measure of success.

 

WVU Printmaking students are also expected to work with and gain a command of the entire array of printmaking techniques.  This philosophy allows the artist to choose the appropriate print medium and technique for a given concept.

 

Students interested in becoming a printmaking major should not only be interested in art, but particularly interested in using printmaking as the primary medium of expression.  Artists must be self-disciplined with an interest in expressing themselves skillfully and aesthetically.  Students must also have a sense of design and the ability to experiment and accept direction and criticism.  

 

Exhibitions in juried competitions and local galleries are required.  The BFA exit portfolio allows students to approach galleries, art centers, and graduate schools for post-graduation opportunities.  Certain aspects of printmaking should position the student as a responsible and serious candidate for museum or gallery employment.  WVU Printmaking majors can also enter the areas of private and non-profit print workshops across the country, or attend graduate school.

 

The visiting artist and collaborative print programs are exciting components of the department where nationally recognized artists work with faculty and students to produce limited edition prints.  Past visiting artists have included Jane Hammond, Willie Cole, and Buzz Spector.

 

Graduate study in printmaking is a program of intense studio work, which seeks to provide a highly productive, exploratory, and eye opening experience.  During one’s graduate tenure at WVU, students are expected not only to achieve dexterity in traditional and innovative areas of the medium, but also to develop a cohesive body of focused, informed, and directed work.  The culmination of study in printmaking is a written thesis and a one-person show.

 

The program has a national reputation as a leader in the field of contemporary printmaking. In 1996 the WVU Printmaking Department hosted the 24th Southern Graphics Council Conference, the largest gathering of printmaking professionals in North America, with an attendance of more than 730. The scope of the critical dialogue and studio activity was a reflection of the philosophy of our print program to extend the definition of printmaking into a broader discussion.