Juror Yuji Hiratsuka | The Printed Image 4 competition at the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery in Topeka

The Printed Image 4 exhibition juror Yuji Hiratsuka conducts a gallery talk for the Nelson-Atkins Museum Print Society. The biennial show runs from November 16 through December 30, 2012. Photograph credit: Betsy Roe for the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library.


David Versluis
Spirit Lake Iowa Fish I
Wood engraving, 3" x 5"
Image © David Versluis

It seems Kansans are known as dedicated advocates for the democratic value of public libraries. Additionally, Kansas was the birthplace of the remarkable Prairie Print Makers Society, which was a consortium of very fine printmakers founded in 1930 and lasting into the 60s. Also, Topeka, Kansas is the hometown of Bradbury Thompson (1911–1995) who was one of the great graphic designers of the twentieth century.

So I was pleased to have a piece selected for The Printed Image 4 competition at the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery of the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library 
in Topeka. While I have not been to Topeka, the photos on flickr indicate a beautiful art gallery venue within an impressive public library. The Printed Image 4 is a national, juried printmaking exhibition.

In the photograph above, juror Yuji Hiratsuka of Oregon State University is standing near my wood engraving called Spirit Lake Iowa Fish I, which is also illustrated above. Actually, in the photograph, Yuji is discussing with the Nelson-Atkins Museum Print Society the technique of color woodcut in “Blue Kaw” a print by Lisa Grossman, of Lawrence, Kansas. Apparently the Kansas River is more commonly known as the “Kaw”. The gallery director chose to install my fish print next to “Blue Kaw” and as a result my print made it into this photograph. I appreciated seeing the photos since I was not able to attend.