I gave my whole afternoon to the Boston Printmakers Biennial Exhibition which is held at the 808 Gallery at Boston University. I always look forward to this event every other year. As a member, I know and work with many of the people involved in the exhibition so it’s as much of a social event as a professional one. This being the 60th anniversary exhibition they were able to publish a catalog which features every print in the exhibition. With the exhibition being as large as it is, it always draws a huge crowd every year to the opening which is always fun and exciting. This year they asked me to volunteer at one of the various information tables handing out name badges and catalogs. The table I was at happened to be situated right in front of the entrance, so I liked the opportunity to see literally every person who walked into the gallery.
I first attended a lecture by Judith Hecker, a print curator at MOMA who was the juror for this year’s exhibition. The selection process must have been a daunting one; 1900 pieces were submitted, with her making a final selection of only 160 prints. In reviewing so many images it must be overwhelming to stay objective and develop a clear perspective on how the exhibition will result. Given these numbers, I consider myself very lucky to have been selected for the exhibition.
The opening reception.
“Paths X”, my intaglio print which was selected for the Biennial
The 808 gallery is a terrific space, it used to be a car dealership which probably explains why the space is so enormous and spacious. I also particularly like that the gallery is all open windows so that light is able to flood into the gallery space.
Clara Lieu 