Art Reception - Damsel in the Press: A Missouri Printmaking Exchange

Shelly Forbis is a printmaker who earned a BFA in printmaking from Truman State University. She began hosting printmaking exchanges under the Damsel in the Press mantel in 2012.

In a printmaking exchange, a host provides a set of guidelines to a group of printmakers. Guidelines can include a theme, edition size, deadline, and fee. Participating printmakers submit an edition of prints based on the guidelines. After receipt of the prints, the host sorts the prints and sends an assortment of prints back to the artists.

In the case of print exchanges hosted by Damsel in the Press, each artist receives one of every print submitted to the exchange. The original motivation for Damsel in the Press was to keep a means of communication open with other Truman State printmaking alumni. Now the exchange is a means of connecting artists from all over the USA and a few printmakers from overseas. The current display represents Missouri artists from 10 different printmaking exchanges.