We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of Highpoint Editions’ 20 Year Archive!
Willie Cole, Lucy | intaglio and relief, 2012
Dyani White Hawk, Wókaǧe | Create | screenprint with metallic foil, 2019
Jim Hodges, Bringing in the Ghosts | lithograph, relief, screenprint with hand cutting, collage and metallic foil, 2019. Co-published by Highpoint Editions and Walker Art Center.
Aaron Spangler, Reclining Arms | woodcut, 2019
Twenty-eight crushed, hammered, and printed ironing boards, named after women in the artist's life. They invite a confrontation of the contradictory energies running through them, about resistance and oppression, beauty and violence, labor and forbearance.
Plains style dentalium dresses, evoking the many ways in which Native women collectively care for and nurture their community. Now in institutions including the Museum of Modern Art and the Autry, Indigenous people can enter these public spaces and see themselves reflected back.
Seventy-nine colors in one print, with hidden imagery behind each collaged layer. Hints of brightly colored metallic foils mix with a rich palette of summer tones that suggest the multitudes that exist in the changing of the seasons.
Wooden blocks too big to fit on a press hand-printed with wooden spoons, giving their impressions a unique, organic feel that only the pressure of a human hand could have.
These prints, made by Willie Cole, Dyani White Hawk, Jim Hodges, and Aaron Spangler not only look beautiful on a wall, express powerful narratives, and inspire their viewers - they tell a story.
They tell a story of the relationship between the artist, the materials, and the folks who helped bring these visions to life here at Highpoint. They tell a story of collaboration and process, and how powerful a creative relationship can be.
These works, and many more - 310 in total, make up the Highpoint Editions (HPE) Archive.
Spanning the last 20 years, countless artists have come in our doors, working tirelessly with our Master Printer and HP staff to create prints that push the boundaries of their visions as artists, and the capabilities of our workshop. They leave as a member of the Highpoint family.
This process has resulted in work that challenges and soothes, provokes and inspires - work that represents thousands of hours invested in both the imagination and process of HPE artists.
Now, Highpoint is thrilled to announce the culmination of this process, and the next phase of our story: the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) has acquired the complete Archive of works by Highpoint Editions!
Highpoint was founded on the belief that printmaking and prints are a democratic art form. From the start, the Archive was created to uphold this belief - that everybody should be able to experience and learn from the multitude of stories that Highpoint Editions prints have to offer and tell.
With this acquisition, our original prints will be available for viewing and study to thousands of visitors in perpetuity. Now you, too, can see the results of our powerful collaborative process, and get to know the stories we’ve assisted in developing for the past 20 years.
Not only is it an honor to have 20 years of work acknowledged and uplifted by Mia, a beloved partner institution, but the permanence of this acquisition means much for the communities we belong to. This powerful collection will now be available for more people from our community and around the world to enjoy, amplifying the stories of HPE artists on a greater stage, and providing access to a larger number of people than ever before.
“Considering Mia’s commitment to making accessible and inspiring wonder through works of art, their exceptionally strong print collection of over 40,000 works, their incredible curatorial team, and their beautiful Print Study Room which is free and open to all – Highpoint’s Archive could not have found a better permanent home.” said HP’s Artistic Director and Master Printer Cole Rogers.
Everyone is a part of this story - the artists, Highpoint, Mia, the people who will view and interact with the work, and you. This success is your success, and we invite you to join in our celebration of this important milestone!
The Contemporary Print: 20 Years at Highpoint Editions
October 9, 2021 - January 9, 2022 at Minneapolis Institute of Art
This exhibition will examine the story of Highpoint’s founding, growth, and achievements through innovative installations of a diverse selection of published prints and multiples by leading contemporary artists. Displays of ancillary production material—such as preliminary drawings, proofs, and printing matrices—will illustrate the methods and processes of the major traditional printmaking techniques of intaglio, relief, lithography, screenprinting, and monotype and showcase the creative versatility of Highpoint Editions’ collaborations with artists.
Dennis Michael Jon, Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings at Mia, is organizing curator of The Contemporary Print: 20 Years at Highpoint Editions. He is also lead author of an online catalogue raisonné that will accompany the exhibition, featuring fully-illustrated documentation of the published editions and monotypes included in the Highpoint Editions Archive at Mia.
Highlights from the Archive
