About the Boston Printmakers 2023 North American Print Biennial

Presenting the best in contemporary and traditional printmaking, the North American Print Biennial has long been recognized as one of the most prestigious events in printmaking. Founded in 1947, the mission of the Boston Printmakers is to promote public knowledge of printmaking, encourage and support artists working in printmaking, and promote excellence and innovation within the field of printmaking.

Juror

Elizabeth M. Rudy is the Carl A. Weyerhaeuser Curator of Prints at the Harvard Art Museums, where she stewards the collection of roughly 60,000 prints made in Europe and the Americas from the 15th century to the contemporary era. She holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University, and her research focuses on prints of the 18th and 19th centuries, with particular interests in etching, book illustration, and works by the artist Pierre-Paul Prud’hon. She has published widely on prints. Her recent exhibitions at Harvard include States of Play: Prints from Rembrandt to Delsarte (September 4, 2021 – January 2, 2022) and Prints from the Brandywine Workshop and Archives (March 4 – July 31, 2022). Her current exhibition, co-curated with Professor Kristel Smentek of MIT, Dare to Know: Prints and Drawings in the Age of Enlightenment (September 16, 2022 – January 15, 2023), will be accompanied by a major scholarly publication.

Biennial Venue

808 Gallery, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

Prizes

Over $10,000 is available in juror-designated purchase prizes and materials awards. The Boston Printmakers’ purchase prizes are placed into permanent collections at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Art Complex Museum, Duxbury, MA; and the Boston Printmakers Collection at the Boston Public Library. Additionally, this show generates a large number of sales through patron and public purchases.

Calendar 2023 
NOTE: Changes to this calendar will be announced in acceptance letters.

September 15, 2022 Application process opens at www.bostonprintmakers.org

May 12, 2023 Application process closes

June 7, 2023 Notifications emailed

June 16-30, 2023 Period to receive shipped work (*from outside U.S. by June 23)

Sunday, June 25, 2023 Hand delivered work received at Lesley University, Cambridge MA

Exhibition dates: October 10 – December 9, 2023

Following dates subject to change:

Saturday, October 14, 2023 Public Reception and Juror’s Talk

Saturday, December 9, 2023 Exhibition closes

December 11-12, 2023 Pick up of hand delivered work at Boston University

December 12-13, 2023 Return of shipped work. 

Application Requirements

Specifications

All delivered work must match the juried image; substitutions of accepted works will not be allowed. All work must be framed in simple (Nielsen like) black metal or black wooden frames no more than ½” thick on the front edge. All frames should have Plexiglas, and a standard white or off-white window mat, minimum 3 inches wide. Your print must be securely mounted to the backing board. Frames must be ready to hang with wire or D-rings. Place your framed print into a clear plastic bag before boxing. Where appropriate, due to size or aesthetics, these directions may be amended and must be included in your entry on the CaFE site. Also, please include in your submission the same, clearly explained description of special hanging instructions that was written in CaFE entry. With your acceptance letter, you will receive labeling forms, detailed packing and shipping instructions, and a loan agreement to complete and sign. *PLEASE NOTE: Artwork information, including the price of framed work (with 35% commission), cannot be changed from what is entered in the official CaFE entry.

Shipping

All shipped work must be sent in appropriate and re-usable packaging. It must be sent pre-paid via UPS. It must include a UPS prepaid return-shipping label held in a clearly marked envelope taped to the back of the framed work of the art. Work will not be exhibited without a UPS pre-paid return packing slip, which includes shipping insurance.

Artists living outside of the U.S. who are not able to provide a return UPS label will be billed the cost of return ground shipping (including insurance) via a carrier chosen by The Boston Printmakers. These artists agree to pay these charges promptly on receipt of the invoice.

Sales

A 35% commission will be charged on all sales. Artists must assume the expense and responsibility of supplying to purchasers any additional prints in the edition that may be sold. The Boston Printmakers is a non-profit organization that uses proceeds from commissions for exhibition expenses. *PLEASE NOTE: Artwork information, including the price of framed work (with 35% commission), cannot be changed from what is entered in the official CaFE entry.

Liability

Every precaution will be taken in handling the prints accepted for the Biennial. Boston University will assume responsibility for those works chosen for exhibition from the time they are delivered to the gallery until they are picked by the artist or shipper. Artwork in the gallery will be insured for 35% less than the selling price. Artists must insure their work while in transit to and from the exhibition. The Boston Printmakers assumes no responsibility in case of loss or damage to submitted or accepted works.

Agreement

Filing of the entry form constitutes an agreement on the part of the entrant to all conditions set forth in the prospectus, including permission to use images of the exhibited work in print or online media for promotional, educational, or archival purposes and for the creation of a catalog of the exhibit. *PLEASE NOTE: Artwork information, including the price of framed work (with 35% commission), cannot be changed from what is entered in the official CaFE entry.

Eligibility Criteria

North American (defined here as including Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean) artists 18 years and older are eligible to enter. Original, innovative works in all printmaking media are eligible.

Photographs, offset reproductions, or reproductions of artwork originally produced in another medium will not be considered. Submitted work may not have been exhibited in any other Boston Printmakers exhibition. Artists may submit up to three digital images of original prints completed within the past four years, 2019-2023.