MINNEAPOLIS—August 30, 2021—This fall, the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) will present “The Contemporary Print: 20 Years at Highpoint Editions,” a special exhibition highlighting the museum’s recent acquisition of the complete archive of works by Highpoint Editions, the publishing arm of Highpoint Center for Printmaking (HP). HP is a nonprofit printmaking art center established in 2001 in Minneapolis by co-founders Carla McGrath and Cole Rogers. The show will feature more than 175 original prints, multiples, and items of ancillary production material from 35 artists. “The Contemporary Print: 20 Years at Highpoint Editions” opens October 9, 2021, and runs through January 9, 2022, in Mia’s Target Galleries.

“This is Mia’s first special exhibition since early 2020. So much has changed in the world since then, and it is especially meaningful that our major fall exhibition highlights the work of a Minneapolis institution,” said Dennis Michael Jon, associate curator in the Department of Global Contemporary Art at Mia. “Highpoint Editions has emerged as one of America’s premier printmaking studios and a destination for prominent local, national, and international artists. By showcasing these prints for our audience, we hope to emphasize how integral contemporary printmaking is to contemporary art practice and recognize the thriving arts and culture of the Twin Cities.”

Displays of ancillary production material, such as trial proofs, working proofs, progressive state proofs, and printing matrices, will illustrate the methods and processes of the major traditional printmaking techniques—intaglio, relief, lithography, screenprinting, and monotype—and showcase the creative versatility of Highpoint Editions’ collaborations with artists. Exhibition highlights will include:
•Willie Cole’s Beauties, a series of 28 largescale intaglio prints made from flattened metal ironing boards.
•23 prints made by Carlos Amorales in 2010, using imagery drawn from his long-running Liquid Archive project.
•Dyani White Hawk’s Takes Care of Them, a suite of prints inspired by Plains style women’s dentalium dresses, honoring Native American collective-care values.
•Printmaking demonstrations designed to inspire and inform visitors with methods and materials integral to the art form.
•An online catalogue raisonné featuring fully illustrated documentation of the published editions and monotypes.

A robust series of virtual and onsite programs will accompany the exhibition, from an opening day virtual tour on October 9 to artist talks by Willie Cole on November 18 and Dyani White Hawk on December 5. In addition, artists will hold printmaking demos on October 9 and 23, November 6 and 20, and December 11 and 18. The December 12 Family Day will be “Free Ink Day,” hosted by Highpoint staff and artists. More information and a full schedule of programs can be found at artsmia.org.

“This exhibition allows the public to see an incredible body of work produced by Highpoint Editions’ amazing artists over the last 20 years, affirming the power and creative potential of printmaking,” said Cole Rogers, co-founder, artistic director, and master printer at Highpoint. It showcases the hard work, ingenuity, dedication, and skill of the Highpoint Editions and Highpoint Center for Printmaking staff who helped realize the work. And ultimately it is a celebration of the hope, audacity, and trust that is essential to the process of making art, as well as to the collaborative spirit we strive to pursue in all Highpoint endeavors.”

Established in 2001, Highpoint Center for Printmaking is the only accessible, community-oriented facility of its kind in the Upper Midwest. Its publishing arm, Highpoint Editions, produces fine art prints made by invited professional artists in collaboration with Master Printer Cole Rogers and his workshop team. Prints created at Highpoint Editions can be found in numerous public, corporate, and private collections.

“The Contemporary Print: 20 Years at Highpoint Editions” was made possible by lead sponsor Thomson Reuters and major sponsors Artful Living and Susan and Robert White, with additional generous support from the Association of Research Institutes in Art History, Kerry and Sky Fauver, and Kathryn and James Ganley.