14 years and more of PrintHouston

BECAUSE PRINTMATTERS!

The year was 2008, Cathie Kayser gathered four printmakers: Andis Applewhite, Ann “Sole Sister” Johnson, Vivian Hordes, and Ruth Shouval, in the Glassell School parking lot to ask if they had an interest in forming a printmaking organization in Houston. By 2009 they had voted each other in as founding board members, named, and officially formed PrintMatters as a Texas non-profit. It was decided that there would be an elected artist membership along with general members.

These five printmaking artists came to the realization that although they had individually exhibited their works on a local and national scale there was undoubtedly a need for support to empower the printmaking artists in their city. The founding members of five artists grew to ten, then twenty, and forty, and so on as word quickly grew that printmakers, curators, and patrons were coming together to share their love of the art form known as printmaking. The club of printmaking supporters became known as PrintMatters as they championed the needs that mattered to their community. PrintHouston’s goals were and are, to promote traditional and non-traditional printmaking, encourage print collecting, and further the professional growth of our membership.

After 13 years, PrintHouston has grown from five founding members to a recognized 501c3 non-profit art organization, representing a growing global community of printmakers and print supporters. PrintHouston coordinates many programs for the print community including, annual membership shows, membership group critiques, international portfolio trades and exhibitions, national juried exhibitions, as well as public workshops, demonstrations, and guest lectures. PrintHouston and Rockin’ Rollin’ Prints were the first major events presented in 2011 and have continued since with the additions of national juried exhibitions NEXT and PressForward. These events were designed to demonstrate the process of printmaking and to expose the public to artist/printmakers, local, national, and international.

In 2015 PrintHouston (formally, PrintMatters) was granted a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. In 2020, The Nancy Luton Printmaking Education Fund was formed to support artists in furthering their education and knowledge of printmaking.

Heads UP! PrintHouston wants to inform everyone that they are transitioning from being called “PrintMatters” to PrintHouston. Most print lovers already refer to them as PrintHouston after their popular biennial event. In any case, they thought this change would be less confusing a positive move forward. 

PrintHouston certainly has grown a great deal since 2009 and we are excited to see where our community will go together on our journey forward.