Loyola University Hosts International Printmaking Exhibition, Opening 2/8

Loyola University's Montage Fine and Performing Arts Series kicks off its spring visual arts season in February with two contemporary printmaking exhibitions held simultaneously in the Collins C. Diboll Gallery. Featuring the premiere of theSouthern Graphics Council International's traveling exhibition and Dirk Hagner's "Texted Haiku Broadsides," both exhibits are in conjunction with the 2012 SGCI Conference.

An opening reception will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 8 from 5 – 6 p.m. in the Diboll Gallery, located on the fourth floor of the J. Edgar and Louise S. Monroe Library.  A second reception for the SGCI Conference and general public is scheduled in the gallery on Friday, March 16 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public. 

SGCI is the largest print organization in North America, and its annual conference, with attendees from around the globe, is the biggest annual gathering focused on the field of printmaking. Bill Kitchens, chair of Loyola's Department of Visual Arts, will be honored at this year's conference with the SGC International Mentorship Award, a prestigious recognition by his peers for his contributions to the field of printmaking.

Hagner's work is based on the traditional broadside printing format and combines haiku with typography of early American printed announcements. He uses classic haikus, but they are "texted," or compressed, so that the actual number of words is reduced.

"Dissonant visual elements are embedded in these broadside interpretations to add some acidity to the perceived 'romantic' notion that haikus have acquired over time. This body of work is an amalgamation of Far Eastern poetic sensibilities, Western printing traditions, New World design principles and Old World social commentary," Hagner said. "The unusual combination of these different cultural traditions gives it unexpected contemporary relevance."