Contemporary fine art prints will be the focus of an exhibition at the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria’s Preston Jackson Gallery. The exhibition, Artists Of Manneken Press, will showcase works by 17 contemporary artists encompassing a wide variety of styles and printmaking techniques produced at Manneken Press, a fine art press located in Bloomington, IL. The exhibition dates are February 24th – April 18th 2023. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday 11 am – 5 pm. A gallery talk by Manneken Press director will be held on Friday, March 3rd at 7:00 pm.A public reception will be held on Saturday, March 18th from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Admission to the exhibition and reception are free. The Contemporary Art Center of Peoria is located at 305 SW Water Street, Peoria, IL.

Artists Of Manneken Press builds upon the 2011 exhibition mounted by the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria which included works made from 2000 – 2011, and extends this continuum with prints published from 2012 to the present.

The artists included in the exhibition are: Carlos Andrade, Mel Cook, Brian Cypher, Jack Davidson, Jonathan Higgins, Catherine Howe, Richard Hull, Mary Judge, Gary Justis,  Anna Kunz, Judy Ledgerwood, Matt Magee, Jill Moser, Kate Petley, Sarah Smelser, Philip Van Keuren and Brenda Zappitell. These artists, all prominent in their field, hail from across the United States and beyond, including several from nearby Bloomington, IL and Chicago and from as far away as Colombia and Spain.

Artists Of Manneken Press forefronts artworks that assert the foundational acts of two-dimensional investigation over narrative, are experimental, unequivocally stirring, intelligent, primarily abstract and suited to the medium of printmaking, with strong compositional, material and graphic qualities.

Artists Of Manneken Press includes only original works; autographic prints which were specifically intended to made in the print medium. They are distinguished from digital or reproductive prints which are copies of works of art made in another medium (giclée prints). Autographic prints can be limited editions (multiple originals) or unique prints (monotypes or monoprints).

Artists from Rembrandt and Goya to Robert Rauschenberg and Kiki Smith have made prints an important aspect of their creative practice. Contemporary painters and sculptors often opt to work with an experienced practitioner, like Manneken Press, who possesses the skills, equipment and sensitivity necessary to help realize the artist’s vision. Such is the case with painters Judy Ledgerwood and Richard Hull, and sculptor Gary Justis. Other artists, such as Sarah Smelser use printmaking as their primary medium of expression. This persistent interest in printmaking underscores the medium’s vitality and importance in contemporary art and in art history. Artists Of Manneken Press exemplifies varying ways that contemporary artists manifest their ideas in print. Several fine art printmaking techniques are utilized throughout the exhibition: etching, aquatint, woodcut, collagraph, photogravure, monoprint and monotype. Photogravure, a 19th C. method of photographic reproduction, a hybrid of photographic and printmaking techniques that is rarely practiced today, is highlighted in the prints of Philip Van Keuren and Kate Petley.

Manneken Press, located in Bloomington, IL, is a fine art press that publishes original, limited edition and unique prints, portfolios and artist’s books by significant contemporary artists. Manneken Press was founded in 2000 by owner/operators Jonathan Higgins and Sarah Smelser  and has established a reputation as one of the premier fine art presses in the nation. The press represents the work of more than 30 artists. Its inventory consists primarily of prints augmented by drawing, sculpture and photography in order to show the full scope the the artists’ oeuvres. The artists are invited to Manneken Press to work in close collaboration with master printer Jonathan Higgins on their projects, which are hand-printed on an etching press, using traditional, time tested techniques and materials. Manneken Press regularly participates in fine art fairs around the United States, including those in Baltimore, Berkeley, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Miami, New York City and Palm Springs. Prints from Manneken Press have been exhibited in many galleries and museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, NYC,  and have been reviewed in publications such as Art In Print, Art In America, Grabado Y Edición, ARTnews, and Art On Paper.

The Contemporary Art Center is the Peoria’s cultural hub. CACP inhabits a historical building on Peoria’s River Front, hosting exhibitions in its three galleries, presenting music, dance and poetry events, and housing 15 working artist’s studios.