Printmaking has functioned historically as a means of disseminating information and knowledge, but also as a powerful tool for communicating social and political messages to a mass audience. Dissent, outrage, inspiration, hope, and calls for social justice are common themes in prints made by artists including Kara Walker (US), Francisco Goya (Spain), Honore Daumier (France), Jose Guadalope Posada (Mexico), Glenn Ligon (US), Käthe Kollowitz (Germany), Sister Corita Kent (US), and collectives like Taller de Gráfica Popular (Mexico), AfriCOBRA (US) and See Red Women's Workshop (UK). In honor of the voices in Minneapolis that have inspired communities worldwide to stand up, Highpoint Center for Printmaking’s Stand Up Prints exhibition will highlight artists who are using printmaking to address social and political issues right now.

Stand Up Prints will feature contemporary examples of printmaking being used to promote racial and social justice in America. Submitted work must contain some element of printmaking (screenprinting, lithography, intaglio, monotype, collograph, relief, stenciling, letterpress). Acceptable submissions include prints, posters, broadsides, zines, and printstallations. Artist collaborations are welcome. 

Timeline:
August 16 - last day to apply
September 3 - applicants notified
October 9 - accepted artwork due at Highpoint
October 23 - exhibition opens
November 21 - exhibition closes

There is no entry fee to submit to this exhibition. Instead, Highpoint asks that applicants make a donation to a social justice organization of their own choosing (if they are able to do so). 

About our guest curator: Ellen Y. Tani, PhD is the 2020-2022 A.W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts in Washington, DC. A Minnesota native, she has held curatorial positions at the ICA/Boston, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. A historian of contemporary African American art, her broader research within contemporary art engages critical race studies, disability studies, and feminism, and has been supported by the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African and African American Studies, the Clark Art Institute, and the Getty Research Institute.

Eligibility: Submitted work must have been completed since 2018. While non-traditional or digital output is accepted as a print element, submissions must utilize some form of printmaking (screenprinting, lithography, intaglio, monotype, collograph, relief, stenciling, letterpress). Three-dimensional work may be submitted. Prints must be unframed and will be displayed behind glass cut to the paper size (unless otherwise specified by the artist). Each artist may submit 1-2 images for consideration.

Agreement: Submission of artwork constitutes an agreement that allows Highpoint to photograph and reproduce accepted work for promotional purposes, and allows work to remain on display at Highpoint for the full duration of the exhibition. Submission also grants Highpoint and the Curator permission to make final presentation decisions.

Liability: Work will be insured the entire time it is on Highpoint's premises. If damage occurs and the piece can be repaired, liability will be limited to the cost of repair. Damages incurred in transit are the responsibility of the artist.

Shipping: Packing, shipping, and related costs are the responsibility of the artist. All accepted work must be packaged in a sturdy, reusable container. Prints may be shipped rolled in a mailing tube or flat in a well-padded container. Highpoint will provide participating artists with useful suggestions on safe and efficient packaging.

Sales: Highpoint will retain 20% of proceeds from exhibition sales. Work does not need to be available for purchase in order to be eligible for this exhibition. All unsold work will be returned after the exhibition in its original packaging. Proceeds from sales will help Highpoint cover the costs of assembling this exhibition.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria