Staff Report
WIMBERLEY — Austin-based collaborative printmaking studio Flatbed Press and Hill Country nonprofit projectART are partnering to release the upcoming gallery exhibit, IMPRINT. The exhibit can be viewed at ARTSPACE, projectART’s contemporary art gallery and education space in Wimberley, beginning Nov. 21.
For artist and projectART Board of Directors secretary Heather Carter, the impetus for a printmaking exhibit was an interaction she had with a volunteer, who had participated in a previous printmaking workshop at ARTSPACE and was excited about diving back into it during his retirement.
According to a news release, the conversation sparked an interest in Carter; she envisioned an exhibit that highlighted what goes into the art of printmaking — the physical pieces that are altered to create the print and the parts and processes that are not in the work.
With this in mind, Carter worked with Jules Buck Jones, projectART curator and Texas State University associate professor in the School of Art and Design, to select pieces to include in IMPRINT.
“For this exhibition,” explained Carter, “the focus was on choosing work that exemplified the tactile and even sculptural process of printmaking. What was it that left those marks and indentions in the paper? How was [the piece] made? To help answer these questions we will be showing some etched plates and a small press as part of the exhibit. ARTSPACE is a teaching gallery and understanding the process is integral to understanding and appreciating the final product.”
For Carter and Jones, collaborating with Flatbed Press felt predestined. Flatbed Press is a longstanding fixture in Austin that is dedicated to showcasing and supporting artists working in printmaking media. It is a collective of artists and master printers with decades of experience in this genre and a valuable resource to printmakers.
When Flatbed co-founder, director and senior master printer Katherine Brimberry was approached by projectART, she was excited to see what the curators would select for their gallery: “This collaboration marks the first time we've shown work in Wimberley, and it is significant that a third party curated the group of works shown. [Carter's] and [Jones'] choices brought work together in a way that I, as owner of Flatbed, might not have done," Brimberry recounted.
IMPRINT features eight artists who specialize in printmaking. Of these eight artists, seven were discovered through Flatbed’s deep inventory of works, including Linda Ridgway, Sandra Fernandez, Kyle Hawley, Lance Letscher, James Sullivan, Jenny Robinson and Liz Ward. Artist Elvia Perrin will also be featured in IMPRINT.
The collaboration between projectART and Flatbed Press is not just about this particular exhibit. “Every time projectART partners with another arts organization, we grow,” Carter said. “There are so many reasons that relationships like these are important but mainly it's about building a community of artists, networks, and teachers to better serve the student artists of all ages in our area.”
IMPRINT will commence with an opening reception from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, from at ARTSPACE in Wimberley and will be on view until Jan. 24, 2026.
