2026 National MGC Community Print Studio Exhibition
Apr 23, 2026 9:00 AM
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7:30 pm
On view now through April 23
Exhibitions are a cornerstone of MGC Community Print Studio’s programming, which aims to provide access and visibility to artists working in a broad range of printmaking processes. Building on MGC’s legacy as a vital home for prints since 1986, we are excited that this will be our first open call print exhibition in our new home in Powerhouse Arts (PHA) in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Coinciding with PHA’s second annual Brooklyn Fine Art Print Fair, MGC is pleased to announce our 2026 National Print Exhibition, a juried competition and exhibition devoted to fine art prints, which will be part of a series of events celebrating the 40th anniversary of MGC’s founding. The open call exhibition is juried by Ann Shafer and Diya Vij.
Ann Shafer is an independent curator, art historian, and a leading expert on intaglio printmaking by Stanley William Hayter and Atelier 17. Formerly Shafer was associate curator of prints, drawings, and photographs at the Baltimore Museum of Art, where she curated a variety of exhibitions and hosted myriad classes and visitors. She also organized the museum’s Baltimore Contemporary Print Fair in 2012, 2015, and 2017, featuring an international array of twenty presses, publishers, and dealers. In April 2022, she mounted a new, independent print fair in Baltimore, and in 2025, she consulted Powerhouse Arts on its inaugural Brooklyn Fine Art Print Fair. She hosts the podcast Platemark: prints and the printmaking ecosystem and writes a blog about favorite works of art (annshafer.com). Shafer has a BA from The College of Wooster and a MA from Williams College, both in art history. In addition to the BMA, Ann has worked at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Williams College Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Art.
Diya Vij is the Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and is committed to critically investigating the evolving role of art in politics and civic life. Most recently, she served as the Curator at Creative Time where she commissioned and stewarded large-scale public art work, launched the public programming space CTHQ, re-launched the Creative Time Summit, and initiated the R&D Fellowship for socially engaged artists. Over the past decade, she has held programming, curatorial, and communications positions at major New York City Institutions. As the Associate Curator of Public Programs at the High Line, she organized dozens of live events and performances with artists, activists, practitioners, and healers. At the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Vij launched and co-directed the Public Artists in Residence (PAIR) program. Additionally, she helped lead the Agency’s citywide Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative, and played an active role in public monument efforts, as well as CreateNYC—New York City’s first strategic long-term plan for culture. She was a curatorial fellow and the communications manager at the Queens Museum from 2010–2014. She currently serves on the Boards of A Blade of Grass, the Laundromat Project and the Poetry Project and was co-curator of the Counterpublic Triennial 2023 in St. Louis, MO.
more at PHA
Gold Leaf
Gilding for printmakers is a custom designed intensive weekend workshop for experienced printmakers who want to use genuine gold and silver leaf in the printing process. The class will focus on two phases: pre-printing and post printing. We will use genuine leaf, metal leaf mica, and metallic powders.
Screen Printing: Cards & Stationery
This 3 week class at MGC Community Print Studio will introduce students to all the skills needed to screen print cards and stationery. Step-by-step instruction, demonstration, and guidance will result in a limited edition on paper. Class goal: 20 1-color cards or equivalent self-directed project.
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PHA Store pop-up: Al Held Foundation in collaboration with PHA
Please join us to celebrate Al Held Foundation's first ever posthumous re-issuance of a ceramic object originally created by Al Held. The evening will feature an opportunity to learn about this collaborative process between the Foundation and PHA, and to purchase the editioned objects. Light beverages and snacks will be served.
Crafternoons: Crafting a Miniature Museum
Inspired by the immersive virtual reality exhibition Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado, we’ll paint and sculpt small-scale artworks to fill our museum diorama. Part of our series of free, drop-in art workshops for families, kids, and neighbors of all ages.
Morning Dew: Cyanotypes and Natural Toners with Mickey Aloisio
Explore the rich possibilities of cyanotypes,as well as alternative photographic printing using organic materials such asgreen tea, coffee, and wine.
After Hours: Powerhouse Arts 2026 Staff Art Show
Presented in dialogue with Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado, the Staff Art Show will showcase a range of artistic practices while exploring the broader ecosystem of influence within the arts. Each participating artist will identify an artwork from art history that has shaped their practice, revealing networks of inspiration that connect artists across generations and offering a glimpse into the creative lives of the people who make Powerhouse Arts run.
Digital Collage with Adobe CC and its Free Alternatives
Learn how to add computer-based painting, drawing and color adjustment techniques to original hand drawings with Adobe & free alternative softwares.
Mosaics with Viktoriya Basina
Explore various mosaic techniques through hands-on making and create an individual artwork.
Friday: Special Topics in Intaglio
Experienced etchers will utilize traditional and contemporary methods such as non-toxic photo-etching, viscosity printing, and Xerox-transfer in this class. Students may undertake in-depth plate work that allows for extensive work on a single plate, multicolored printing, and various experimental techniques.
Weds: Special Topics in Intaglio
Experienced etchers will utilize traditional and contemporary methods such as non-toxic photo-etching, viscosity printing, and Xerox-transfer in this class. Students may undertake in-depth plate work that allows for extensive work on a single plate, multicolored printing, and various experimental techniques.
Intro to Intaglio
Intaglio techniques include a number of rich and varied processes that lend themselves to traditional and contemporary images. This course will focus on traditional methods of working copper plates. The class will cover etching, drypoint, aquatint, use of soft and hard grounds, and the combination of techniques on a single plate.
Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado
An immersive virtual reality exhibition developed by ACCIONA Cultura in exclusive collaboration with Madrid’s Museo Nacional del Prado, Masterpieces invites visitors into a multi-sensory reimagining of one of the world’s greatest museums, including fantastical, in-depth explorations of its most celebrated, and rarely traveled, masterpieces.
Intro to Screenprinting
This 9-week class is designed to give students a comprehensive understanding of silkscreen and its versatility. Through the course of three projects, we will explore new methods and build up skill intentionally.
Intro to Printmaking
This 8 week class will introduce students to a variety of printmaking processes. We will explore monotype, collagraph, and relief. Emphasis will be on developing skills both on and off the press, from creating plates, to inking and editioning, becoming a responsible member in a community studio will be emphasized.
Composition and Critique
This online discussion-based class will focus on composition principles and critique of both in-progress and completed work. Nandini will address how to integrate parts of an artwork into a unified whole, achieve balance of elements, and conceptualize and create cohesive series.
Mold-Making and Casting for Ceramicists with Livia Miller
Delve into casting and ornamenting through your own plaster molds in this foundational hands-on course.
Figures of Speech: Abstract Figurative Sculpture with Peloloca
Explore the body as a site of myth, memory, and meaning through abstract ceramic figuration.
Intermediate Wheel: Raised & Refined with Camila Lim-Hing
Height. Precision. Refinement. Take your throwing skills to the next level in 10 weeks.