Other International Print Exchanges

 🔺 means links that show pictures of entire print exchanges

The Ambos Lados International Print Exchange is trying to take full advantage of the 21st century -- by using worldwide shipping like DHL, self-publishing a catalog, posting on Instagram and maintaining this blog, and putting on a traveling exhibition -- by using all resources that were not really available 10 or 20 years ago.     

DIALOGOS E INTERPRETACIONES

However, Ambos Lados is hardly the first international print exchange.  Many of the participants in  Ambos Lados submitted to the Dialogos E Interpretaciones International Print Exchanges, between the US and Colombia.

Dialogos E Interpretaciones

International Print Exchange

2015

Jules Floss (who submitted to Ambos Lados) and Jorge Eliecer Rodríguez Osorio of Manizales, Colombia (Universidad de Caldas) organized the"Dialogos E Interpretaciones" International Print Exchange for 4 years.  Many of the printmakers in Ambos Lado, including Manuel Guerra, one of the organizers of Ambos Lados, participated in these print exchanges.  The prints are posted online:

• 🔺 2012
• 🔺 2013
• 🔺 2014
• 🔺 2015

PRINT ZERO 

INTERNATIONAL PRINT EXCHANGES

We discovered Print Zero of Seattle, when looking for other print exchanges that had self-published catalogs on Lulu.  Brian Lane, Seattle printmaker,  and Jeremy Cody did several Print Zero print exchanges, and published juried catalogs. 

Print Zero Studios

in Seattle

run by Brian Lane 

Catalog of selections from 

the first 5 Print Zero print exchanges, 

with an introduction by the curator

of Davidson Galleries in Seattle

Print Zero Print Exchange #5, had their 291 prints in a large exhibition and catalog from Naestved, Denmark,of 1500 prints.  There is a blog posting about the large project.

In cooperation with Print Zero, the catalog from

 the Naestved International Exhibition of Mini Prints,

in Denmark

Catalog for 

Print Zero Print Exchange #7

Catalog of 

Print Zero Print Exchange #8

We then met Brian Lane at the SGCI print conference in Portland in 2016.  Many of our printmakers then participated in his next print exchange -- 🔺 Print Zero International Print Exchange #9 -- and Brian Lane and other Seattle printmakers participated in both the 🔺Horned Toad II, and now the Ambos Lados, print exchanges.

🔺 The print are posted online

for the Print Zero International Print Exchange #9

OAXACA

When down in Oaxaca a few years ago, Alan Altimirano of La Chicharra Taller showed us the international portfolios that he organized -- Raices and Raices II.  As the portfolio carpetas were for sale, perhaps this isn't a true print exchange.

Raices II Carpeta

Likewise, the Oaxaca Collective carpetas of prints are neither international, nor a print exchange.  Nevertheless, they are a nice collection of Mexican prints in the spirit of these exchanges, and inspired us to pursue the Ambos Lados International Print Exchange.  Organized by Irving Herrera, the portfolios include a print by Pavel Acevedo, who submitted a print for Ambos Lados.

The Oaxaca Carpeta

IPE

International Print Exchange

IPE

Searching on Google for "international print exchanges,"  the IPE from Green Door Printmaking Studio surfaces prominently.  It is an annual non-juried print exchange that even publishes a catalog.

Check out the prints of their 🔺 2018 International Print Exchange (note that Carl Richardson, Carnegie Muir, Elaine Crowe, Jim Weaver and Diane Davis are in both this and the Ambos Lados collections).

OTHER PRINT EXCHANGES

Google searches lead to other print exchanges:

• Self-published book on exchange between the US and Mongolia "One Day: An International Print Exchange."
• Karen Cornelius has organized some international print exchanges from Canada, with Asian printmakers
• La Calaca Press International Print Exchange of 2011, 2012, 2013, 🔺2014, organized by Carlos Barberena in Chicago
• Lunch Money Print, exchange -- closed in Jan 2019
• The Printsaurus International Print Exchange Association of JAPAN
• 9INHANDPRESS -- 🔺2016, 🔺2017, 🔺2018.  Submission for 2019 due March 15, 2009
• Emerald Print Exchange, international -- June 1, 2019 registration deadline

OUR PREVIOUS PRINT EXCHANGES

There have been 2 previous print exchanges organized by Manuel Guerra -- 🔺Horned Toad I (2014) and 🔺Horned Toad II (2017) -- the later being more international, including many printmakers from Oaxaca.

The Dialogos E Interpretaciones international print exchanges (mentioned at the beginning of  this blog entry) inspired the Horned Toad print exchanges I and II.  The Horned Toad Print Exchange inspired the 🔺YayBig Print Exchange.  Not quite the domino effect, the print exchange fever can be contagious, though it is a lot of work.  And it is always welcome when someone steps in to organize the next exchange, continuing the momentum.

A catalog was published with the prints from both the first Horned Toad Print Exchange and the YayBig Print Exchange, as both these print exchanges often exhibited together.

Catalog for 2 print exchanges

self-published on Lulu

Or view the catalog online at ISSUU:

Catalog for viewing online

The early print exchanges lead to a bigger print project -- the Desert Triangle Print Carpeta.  Hopefully these print exchange dialogs can lead to bigger things.

Conclusion:

We derive great satisfaction from organizing this print exchange, with 152 prints from both Mexico and the United States, with 6 other prints from the rest of the world.  And we will be really proud to exhibit these prints in both countries.   Print exhibitions are especially important, as they can easily bring in art from all over the world, and reveal the pulse of the planet -- or in our case, more the pulse between two countries.

However, it is difficult and expensive for an individual, or small group of individuals, to sponsor print exchanges on a regular basis.  And easier approach would be to sponsor local print exchanges of 10, or even 5 printmakers.  Then organize exhibitions with other local print exchanges. I can envision an more manageable reciprocal exchange scenario between El Paso and Austin, for instance.  Printmakers from each city can organize in a local studio, a local print exchange with their fellow printmakers -- and then have pop-up print shows in both cities, of prints from El Paso and Austin. One might include San Antonio or Albuquerque, and do 4 pop-up print exhibitions,of local print exchanges, in those 4 cities.  This way the organization load would be distributed amongst 2 to 4 parties, making it a lot easier to organize, at least in theory.

For instance, we loved showing the Horned Toad Print Exchange from El Paso, with the YayBig Print Exchange from Tucson, together in several venues.  And self-publishing all the prints together in one catalog.  I can see more exchanges of print exchanges going on like this, in the 21st century, where we can send sets of prints around the world in the mail (and on Instagram).