We are thankful that the
National Endowment for the Arts 2011 awarded
Hand Print Workshop International a grant to fulfill some of Midwest Matrix’s needs in producing this project.
Midwest Matrix Trailer II from elmo thamm on Vimeo.
Genealogy of American Printmaking: Oral History of the Post-World War II Midwest Movement
The purpose of Midwest Matrix is to collect, document, preserve and disseminate an oral history of the fine art printmaking in the Midwest after 1945. Midwest Matrix is a substantive study of post-WWII printmaking that documents the synergy among Midwest universities, workshops and their participants. Many of these artists who are now in their eighties and nineties, were able to continue their education through the passing of the GI Bill. This project allows these artists, many whom have never before been filmed, to provide accounts of their experiences, their training, their involvement with the development of print departments and studios, their art, and encounters with students.
The institutions supporting these artists workshops had a significant impact on art education with their creation of a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) degree that included a printmaking specialization. Midwestern ateliers contributed fundamentally to change the course in American printmaking and American art. Midwest Matrix bridges the existing generational gap between the founders of American printmaking, young artists and students.
The institutions supporting these artists workshops had a significant impact on art education with their creation of a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) degree that included a printmaking specialization. Midwestern ateliers contributed fundamentally to change the course in American printmaking and American art. Midwest Matrix bridges the existing generational gap between the founders of American printmaking, young artists and students.
