Tuesday August 31, 2010
Tags for: The Cleveland Museum of Art's Print Club of Cleveland Hosts the 26th Annual Fine Print Fair
  • Press Release

The Cleveland Museum of Art's Print Club of Cleveland Hosts the 26th Annual Fine Print Fair

exterior of the CMA building

The Fine Print Fair, the second longest running event of its kind in the nation, benefits the museum's Department of Prints

CLEVELAND (Aug. 31, 2010) — The Print Club of Cleveland's Fine Print Fair, the city's largest and most comprehensive exhibition of fine prints, returns for its 26th year beginning Friday, Sept. 24, and continuing through Sunday, Sept. 26, at Corporate College in Warrensville Heights. This year's fair, which is the second longest running event of its kind in the nation, will feature 14 dealers exhibiting and selling fine prints that range from old master to contemporary. The event also includes special lectures, printmaking and papermaking demonstrations and hourly door prizes throughout the weekend. The Fine Print Fair benefits the Department of Prints at the Cleveland Museum of Art and is sponsored by the Print Club of Cleveland, a nonprofit auxiliary organization dedicated to supporting the museum's print collection.

Fourteen galleries from across the United States will offer five centuries of outstanding prints, drawings and photographs for sale in a broad range of prices, starting as low as $100. This year's participants include:

  • The Annex Galleries, from Santa Rosa, Calif., featuring American prints from 1900-1950;
  • Armstrong Fine Art, from Chicago, presenting 19th to 21st-century French prints and drawings;
  • C.G. Boerner, from New York City, displaying 16th to 20th-century European prints and drawings;
  • Brodsky Center for Innovative Designs, from New Brunswick, N.J., a print publisher;
  • Dolan/Maxwell, from Philadelphia, presenting contemporary American and European prints and drawings;
  • Conrad Graeber, from Riderwood, Md., featuring American, European and Japanese prints and drawings;
  • The Halsted Gallery, from Bloomfield Hills, Mich., displaying photographs;
  • Paramour Fine Arts, from Franklin, Mich., presenting American prints from 1900-1950;
  • Mary Ryan Gallery, from New York City, specializing in 20th-century American and British prints, as well as contemporary artists;
  • Solo Press, from New York City, a print publisher;
  • Stewart & Stewart, from Bloomfield Hills, Mich., a print publisher;
  • Tamarind Institute, from Albuquerque, N.M., a print publisher;
  • Tandem Press, Madison, Wis., a print publisher; and
  • The Verne Collection, from Cleveland, featuring Ukiyo-e and contemporary Japanese prints.

 

"The Cleveland Fine Print Fair is simply the gold standard for a fair of its size," said Ron Rumford of Dolan/Maxwell. "It is beautifully organized and executed by a deeply committed group that takes great pride in producing a first-rate event. The fair dovetails perfectly with the educational mission of the Cleveland Museum of Art, and, therefore, helps fulfill the mission of the Print Club of Cleveland."

The fair is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $10 ($5 for students with I.D.), which covers entrance to the Fine Print Fair on both days. The Corporate College café, Java City, will be open throughout the weekend.

The opening night benefit preview will take place on Friday, Sept. 24, from 6 to 9 p.m. and features catered hors d'oeuvres by Sammy's, a cash bar, free parking and an opportunity to select great works of art on paper before the Fine Print Fair officially opens to the public on Saturday. The event also will include a special Curator's Choice tour, led by the Cleveland Museum of Art's Jane Glaubinger, curator of prints, who will select works from each dealer in varied price ranges that she considers of exceptional interest and worthy of acquisition by the museum. Ticket price for the benefit preview is $90, $95 if purchased after Sept. 17. The ticket includes readmission to the Fine Print Fair throughout the weekend. For reservations, call 216-707-6779.

"The Cleveland Fine Print Fair is truly unique," said Bernard Derroitte of Armstrong Fine Art. "No other fine art show in the country brings together such a friendly group of collectors. No other show makes looking at art so easy, friendly and stress free."

Corporate College is located at 4400 Richmond Road in Warrensville Heights (at I-271). The Fine Print Fair is supported by Frantz Ward LLP and Key Private Bank. More information about the Fine Print Fair is available on the Print Club's website at http://printclubcleveland.org or by calling 216-707-2579.

Noted Programs and Featured Speakers
On Saturday, Sept. 25, at 11 a.m., Jane Glaubinger will present a special lecture titled "Prints: The Multiple as Original." This program is free and open to the public and is tailored toward both new and experienced print collectors. Glaubinger will also be available to answer questions at the Fine Print Fair all weekend.

On Sunday, Sept. 26, those attending the fair are invited to participate in a 9:30 a.m. breakfast with the dealers and a 10:15 a.m. lecture. Tom Hinson, curator of photography at the Cleveland Museum of Art, will speak on "Building a Collection: A Tale of Opportunity, Generosity and Luck." Cost of the breakfast and talk is $20. For reservations, call 216-707-6779 by Sept. 17.

In addition, several local organizations will conduct educational programs and demonstrations during the fair. Zygote Press, a printmaking workshop, will give printmaking demonstrations on Saturday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. On Sunday, the Morgan Conservancy will offer papermaking demonstrations from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. On both days, the Intermuseum Conservation Association, the nation's oldest regional fine art conservation center, will provide advice on the preservation and restoration of works of art on paper.

Janet Fish's 1994 screenprint, A.M., 28.5 by 41 in. and valued at $3,000, will be raffled during the fair. The print is donated by Janet Fish and StewartStewart.com, with framing donated by M. Gentile Studios in Cleveland. Raffle tickets are $5 (six for $25) and can be purchased by calling 216-707-2579. The winner need not be present at the Sunday afternoon drawing.

The Print Club of Cleveland
Formed in 1919 by Ralph Thrall King, the Print Club of Cleveland is the oldest print club in the United States. Over the last 91 years, there has been unwavering dedication to the founders' twin purposes of enhancing the Cleveland Museum of Arts print collection by gifts and stimulating general interest in print collecting. The commitment and support of club members continues unabated so that one-third of the museum's collection of more than 18,000 prints were gifts from the club or its members. The Print Club of Cleveland also reaches out to the community by sponsoring lectures and hosting the annual Fine Print Fair. Since its inception, the Fine Print Fair has raised more than $400,000 to support the museum's prints department. The group continues to educate the public about printmaking and stimulate interest in the activity of print collecting.

About the Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 40,000 objects and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. Currently undergoing a multi-phase renovation and expansion project, it is a significant international forum for exhibitions, scholarship, performing arts and art education. Admission to the museum is free.

The Cleveland Museum of Art has a membership of more than 21,500 households and is supported by a broad range of individuals, foundations and businesses in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. The museum is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. Additional support comes from the Ohio Arts Council, which helps fund the museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. For more information about the museum, its holdings, programs and events, call 888-CMA-0033 or visit www.ClevelandArt.org.

Contact the Museum's Media Relations Team:
(216) 707-2261
marketingandcommunications@clevelandart.org