The Boston Printmakers 2026 North American Print Biennial
More Like This
The Boston Printmakers 2026 North American Print Biennial
Juried by Esther Adler, Curator at the Museum of Modern Art, NY (MoMA)
September 2 – November 21, 2026
808 Gallery
Header artwork by Renee Covalucci (CFA’84,’85)
The Boston Printmakers returns to Boston University to present its 2026 North American Print Biennial, in 808 Gallery. The juror for the exhibition is Esther Adler, Curator at the Museum of Modern Art, NY (MoMA), New York. Ms. Adler has selected 120 prints from 2017 entries for this exhibit. She writes, “…having traced certain themes and commonalities through this group of prints, it seems there are key criteria that I used to make my choices. At a time when there is increasing nervousness (panic, even, in some circles) about artificial intelligence and the expanding realm of the digital, I remain in awe of the handmade – both the mark carved into wood or linoleum or drawn on an intaglio plate, and the mechanism of rolling a matrix and a sheet of paper through a press. There is great diversity in this selection of prints, but all of them show the hand of the artist in one way or another. My selection was also heavily influenced by the natural world, and by images that revealed magic in both the mundane and the vast. Finally, and surprisingly, I seem to have gathered a group of “beautiful” prints… Given the times we live in, I allowed myself to prioritize visual pleasure and joy above all else. The result is an exhibition I want to see, and prints with which I want to continue to spend time.”
The exhibit features a broad array of contemporary prints and artists books, spanning traditional to contemporary/integrated media approaches, with both emerging and established artists from across North America. The exhibition includes examples of etching, lithography, woodcut, linocut, screenprint, digital printmaking and dimensional works, in which the artists explore a rich diversity of conceptual and narrative content.
From left: artwork by Renee Covalucci (CFA’84,’85), Andrew Stearns (MET’24) and Holly Berry
Over its extraordinary 76 years, the primary mission of The Boston Printmakers has been to create dynamic exhibitions and promote interest in the graphic arts. Founded in 1947, The Boston Printmakers reaches a large and diverse audience through the Biennials, national and international members’ shows, and traveling exhibitions across North America. The Boston Printmakers North American Biennial has a long history with Boston University, having been hosted by the School of Visual Arts at 808 Gallery from 1999-2009, in 2013, and 2023.
The North American Print Biennial awards over $10,000 in purchase prizes and material awards. Founders’ Prizes are purchased for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Art Complex Museum collection, and for The Boston Printmakers Collection at the Boston Public Library. Two additional purchases will be added to the collections at Harvard Art Museums and the Boston Athenaeum, totaling 5 purchase awards. There is also the new Patrick Murphy Prize, awarded for a print of special merit. In addition, 19 materials and residency awards will be given to artists in the show.
Artwork by Deborah Cornell (left) and Joshua Brennan
EVENTS
Juror’s Lecture: Esther Adler, Curator, Museum of Modern Art, New York
Saturday, September 26 at 1pm • CFA Concert Hall, 855 Commonwealth Ave.
Ms. Adler’s talk will center on the expansive work she selected for the exhibition, with insights into her process, observations, and discoveries. Free and open to the public.
Opening Reception
Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 2-5pm • 808 Gallery, 808 Commonwealth Ave.
Gallery talk: Christina Michelon, Pamela and Peter Voss Curator of Prints and Drawings, Boston Museum of Fine Arts
Wednesday October 14, 2026 at 7pm • 808 Gallery, 808 Commonwealth Ave.
Artists Speak
Saturday October 24, 2026 at 3pm • 808 Gallery, 808 Commonwealth Ave.
A dynamic series of short talks by artists exhibiting in the 2026 Biennial
Gallery Talk: Elizabeth Rudy, Carl A. Weyerhaeuser Curator of Prints, Harvard Art Museums
Tuesday, November 10 at 7:00pm • 808 Gallery
Dr. Rudy was the distinguished juror from the 2023 North American Print Biennial. She oversees the objects in the Harvard Art Museums’ print collection, which spans the Renaissance to the contemporary era, and gives frequent public lectures on both historical and contemporary prints. Her talk will focus on the prints in the show. Free and open to the public.
Other Events
- Artists’ Night at the Biennial, an evening with four of the local artists in the Biennial, who will talk about their work and process. More details to come.
- The 2026 Boston Printmakers North American Print Biennial is also being celebrated by many galleries and institutions which are presenting print-related exhibitions and events throughout the region, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and many galleries. Those with concurrent printmaking exhibitions include Brickbottom Gallery, Soprafina Gallery, Childs Gallery, Krakow Witkin Gallery, Bromfield Gallery, and Naga Gallery. Stay tuned for more!
For further programming, more information, and press images, visit bostonprintmakers.org/biennials/biennial-2026.
Alongside the North American Print Biennial, this exhibition celebrates both the extraordinary professional artists of the Boston Printmakers Board and the young artists in BU’s MFA in Print Media and Photography program. Works from both groups are on view, reinforcing the Boston Printmakers’ mission to encourage and support young artists working in print and to provide forums for aspiring print artists. This expansive exhibition expands from the elegant methods of traditional printmaking into new surfaces and approaches, ambitious digital explorations, and transfers from photographic sources. The student work showcases BU’s unique interdisciplinary program and serves as a window into the visions of these young artists.
The members of the Boston Printmakers Board have contributed their energies and sustained the mission of The Boston Printmakers, expanded the national print community, and provided opportunities for artists since its first show in 1948. First founded as a Boston institution, The Boston Printmakers is now an organization with an international reach, and an international reputation for excellence. In support of its educational mission, The Boston Printmakers has a tradition of creating forums for printmaking students across New England institutions, and has convened juried student print shows at MassArt, Lesley University, Framingham State College, and Boston University.
Both shows find connections in the Boston University community, including faculty members Professor Deborah Cornell and Lecturer Joshua Brennan, and BU alums Andrew Stearns (MET’24) and Renee Covalucci (CFA’84,’85), as well as Holly Berry, who studied at CFA.
Please note, BU Art Galleries will be closed for Thanksgiving from Sunday, November 22 through Monday, November 30. Stone Gallery will reopen on Tuesday, December 1.
