Lineage opened yesterday at Windward Community College’s Gallery ‘Iolani. It’s a look at the networks of artists who have contributed to Hawaii’s strong printmaking tradition. It’s already had a run in UH Manoa’s Hamilton Library, and will be on display at Galley ‘Iolani through November 25. The show is sponsored by the Honolulu Printmakers and the two venues, and was curated by Erika Molyneux, a former student of Meda’s who now teaches digital arts at Leeward Community College.

You can check out some of the featured prints online here, displayed with statements by the artists, and then visit the Printmaker’s Living History Blog, which includes a mind map of Hawaii’s printmaking community and its ties to the past. There’s a large print of this in the show, and I spent a lot of time taking this in at the opening reception. [Note: An earlier version of this post was causing problems, but I think I’ve managed to remove the problematic link.]

From Molyneux’s curatorial statement:

The concept for Lineage originated in a discussion I had with Tom Klobe, a friend and mentor of mine. We spoke about how many art students remember the teachers that inspired them but often know little about their teachers’ mentors and inspirations – those that indirectly also shaped their own experiences. In school, we are taught about prominent, globally known artists that seem larger than life and to whom most of us have little or no personal connection. I wanted to start uncovering the human network closer to home that ultimately resulted in the rich, local printmaking community that exists in Hawai‘i and refocus a sense of value on the human currency we exchange on a daily basis.

As I say, it’s highly recommended, and it’s free!

And, for the record, here’s a photo from yesterday’s opening reception with Meda and well-known printmakers Shirley Hasenyager and Dodie Warren. Meda and I have several of Hasenyager’s prints that we’ve acquired over the years, and Warren is one of the artists featured in the Lineage exhibition.