Join us in celebrating 45 Years of Belfast Print Workshop, opening September 1st as part of Belfast’s Late Night Art.
Belfast Print Workshop (BPW) has developed from very modest beginnings in 1977 into the valuable resource it is today, providing facilities for artists in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter in Belfast.
The Workshop originated with a group of print makers working with one etching press in the storeroom of Tom Caldwell's gallery. After a time new premises were sought and in 1977 the Arts Council of Northern Ireland offered the Workshop artists space at Riddel Hall on the Stranmillis Road and funding to develop the resources for artists. The building had previously been a hall of residence for Queen's University and it provided space for the Workshop, and indeed the Arts Council, for many years.
The original group of printmakers continued to grow following the move and, in a short space of time, BPW became firmly established as a part of the visual arts scene. The Workshop moved to the current premises in Cotton Court in 2001, where it has continued to develop its facilities and resources.
Bill Penney ‘Air Ulster’, (1997) Screenprint 37 cms x 28 cms
Audiences in Northern Ireland have had many opportunities to see work produced by artists from BPW over the years. Artists who work there have shown in a wide range of local galleries and they have been heavily involved in teaching classes on print making techniques to a wider public, in the workshop and elsewhere. Belfast Print Workshop offers a wide range of facilities to its members and they can draw on expert advice from the technician and fellow members.
Clement McAleer ‘Ligoneil’, (2013)Monoprint 76 cms x 57 cms
Belfast Print Workshop still has thirteen of the original members who were there at the beginning and it is a home for another generation of artists who are now establishing themselves. The Workshop has been a dynamic home for printmakers and it is a pleasure to acknowledge its contribution to the arts in Northern Ireland as we celebrate forty five years of growth and development with this exhibition.
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