Philagrafika's mission is to promote and sustain printmaking as a vital and valued art form by providing artistic, programmatic and administrative leadership for large-scale, cooperative initiatives with broad public exposure.

Philagrafika builds upon the Philadelphia region's rich history and abundant artistic resources to increase critical dialogue, provide benefits for the local arts community, and enhance the city's presence as an international center for printmaking. We do this through an international contemporary art festival, an annual invitational portfolio, and special projects. Our programs have been designed to present new curatorial and critical models for printmaking-models in which the medium is presented as an integral component of current artistic practice. Learn more...

With a history of printmaking that dates back three centuries, the practice of printmaking in the area has developed a dynamic infrastructure of resources and embedded printmaking into the city’s cultural memory and identity. Philadelphia’s has a vibrant fine art print industry with more than a dozen print departments and print institutions in the region. This “one big campus” already draws thousands to its studios, classrooms and the city’s world-class print collections and has nurtured generations of artists, scholars, and passionate collectors. Philagrafika 2010, an international festival for the printed image organized by Philagrafika, will enhance and expand this base by introducing new modes of expression and interpretation of print-based works of art.

There are several ways to get involved in Philagrafika depending on your skills, interests and desired level of involvement. Opportunities include:

• Become a volunteer
• Become an intern
• Become a member
• Make a donation
• Join our mailing list

Philagrafika is a network of individual artists, art institutions and organizations; member artists gain access to that network. Through the monthly posting and html email distribution of Philagrafika’s Member News, members can distribute their information to other Philagrafika member individuals and organizations. As a member, your name is listed on the member page of our website, which we can link to a website that features your artwork. Philagrafika organizes exhibitions, special programs, meetings, and events that, if not exclusively for members, heavily benefit members, such as Several Steps Removed, the William Penn Foundation Exhibition, a bus trip to the New York Print Fair or the Party Bus to 55 Mercer Gallery. Perhaps Philagrafika’s greatest benefit to artists is providing them with the opportunity to get involved in the print community through meetings, events and volunteer opportunities. Artists work alongside a range of art professionals, expanding their contacts for future recommendation, exhibition opportunities, and in general, a greater awareness of the field. Indirectly, Philagrafika benefits artists by developing programs to enhance Philadelphia’s presence as an international print center. A healthy network and economy for prints supports artists by creating opportunities to make, show and sell artwork. Learn about membership here…

The Philagrafika Invitational Portfolio Committee is composed of one representative from each of the participating print shops. The Committee members, along with invited curators, suggest names of artists that they would like the Committee to consider for the coming year’s portfolio. Those artists are invited to submit slides/digital images for consideration and from those who apply, 6-8 artists are selected. The selection meeting is usually held in January for the coming year’s portfolio. The primary criterion for selection is artistic excellence. Artists are also selected with consideration for how their artwork might translate into the printmaking process (for those whose primary artwork is not printmaking), as well as with consideration for the portfolio as a whole for that year. While we do not hold an open call for artists, any Philadelphia-region artist may submit their work for consideration. See question “How do I submit by artwork for the Philagrafika Invitational Portfolio?”

If you are an artist who would like to be considered for the Philagrafika Invitational Portfolio, please contact Philagrafika with your mailing address, email address and phone number, stating your interest, by November of any given year, and we will invite you to submit slides for the coming year’s portfolio. As an invitational program, we do not hold an open call for entries, however we do not turn away those who are interested in being considered.

Philagrafika keeps an artist registry that will serve as an additional resource for curators creating exhibitions for Philagrafika 2010. If you are interested in submitting your artwork to the artist registry, please send slides or a CD of images with your resume and artist statement to Philagrafika, Attention: “Artist Registry.” We encourage you to update your slides on an annual basis through 2009.

Moore College of Art & Design maintains a slide registry. Registry membership is open and free of charge to all artists, in any medium, who live or work in the nine-county Philadelphia area, including: Montgomery, Philadelphia, Chester, Bucks, Delaware, Camden, Burlington, Gloucester, and New Castle Counties. An Artist's Data Form, resume, artist's statement (optional), and a set of twenty slides must be sent to the gallery. The form can be obtained from the gallery's website.

Join our mailing list and make sure to specify that you would like to know more about participating in Philagrafika 2010. You will be added to our list to receive invitations to community meetings and updates about the project. As plans for the festival develop, we will be in increasing contact with you about opportunities for involvement, both for Philagrafika 2010 itself and for interim programs. In the meantime, start thinking about how your organization might participate, for instance via exhibition, residency, lecture, or other program. Keep in mind (and on your program calendar!) that the festival will run January through April 2010.