About the Exhibition

This exhibition is part of an exchange between the Alberta Printmakers Society and Graphic Studio in Alkmaar, the Netherlands.

Exhibition Essay Written by Eveline Kolijn

During medieval times in Europe, landlords from the Low Countries started to grant privileges to settlements to stimulate the establishment of cities. These privileges were called city-rights. They fostered economic growth and led to increased political autonomy of the city. In 2004, the City of Alkmaar in the Netherlands celebrated the fact that they received their city-rights 750 years ago. Grafisch Atelier Allmaar, a printmaking collective, participated in the anniversary festivities by producing a portfolio of twenty original fine- art prints, printed in an edition of forty.

Their involvement began in 2003 when twenty local print media artists were invited by the Municipal Museum of Alkmaar (Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar) to make prints based on their collection. The museum’s collection reflects the history of customs, thoughts and events throughout the city’s existence. For their inspiration, artists selected monumental paintings by local and famous Dutch Masters, antique tiles, seals, decorated gablestones, children’s toys, old pictures, maquette, pottery and old-fashioned laboratory equipment. The resulting prints reference these objects and images; they are a reflection from the past. Echo is the title of the portfolio. They were exhibited next to their chosen source in the anniversary-exhibition of the museum. Jhim Lamoree, editor from the national newspaper Het Parool, wrote in the forward of the exhibition catalogue, “that the twenty diverse prints, which have been made in response to the different objects of the museum collection, are an echo of those objects, which in their turn become an echo of modern printmaking. This demonstrates that a museum is not a static institution, but can be an incubator of contemporary art.”

The echoes of this print portfolio have reverberated beyond the Netherlands. A year ago, Alberta Printmakers Society approached the Grafisch Atelier Alkmaar with a proposal to organize a print-exchange. The Alkmaar printmakers agreed enthusiastically and they open the exchange with the exhibition of their anniversary portfolio, Echo, in Calgary. They have kindly donated this portfolio, which now becomes part of the Alberta Printmakers Society’s archive. A juried selection of prints from Alberta Printmakers Society’s members will will be exhibited in Alkmaar in January 2009.

Participating Alkmaar Artists: Dave Akkerman, Jos van Amsterdam, Pauline Bakker, Patrick Bergsma, Corrie Breed, Jan Deckwitz, Joyce Ennik, Mels de Gooyer, Gerben Hermanus, Marijalic, Madeleine Leddy, Mans Lenards, Mario Passamani, Hanneke Saaltink, Ivon Spee, Erik Tierolf, Tineke Tukker, Marja Vleugel, Cora Vries and Jaap Zomer.