VCU Hosts 2008 Southern Graphics Council Conference

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The 2008 Southern Graphics Council Conference, a four-day event featuring exhibitions, demonstrations, panel discussions and lectures, will be held from March 26-29 at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

More than 1,000 visitors are expected for the conference, which will consider printmaking's place in contemporary art and culture, especially in light of the increasing role of digital media in the field. The conference schedule will feature a bevy of events at VCU and in nearby venues. In addition, more than 30 galleries in Richmond are also participating by holding printmaking exhibits and other related events. The conference hosts are the VCU School of the Arts, the Department of Painting and Printmaking and the Center for Digital Print Media.

Among the highlights of the conference is the open portfolio exhibition, which allows hundreds of council members to show work from their portfolio to the public. The event, which is free, will be held March 29 at the Richmond Landmark Theater.

Artists participating in conference activities include Kerry James Marshall, who will receive the lifetime achievement award in printmaking; Helen Frederick, who will be named printmaker emeritus; and Steve Murakishi, who will be honored for teaching excellence in printmaking. Others include Lesley Dill, Virgil Marti, Cassandra Jones and Sandow Birk.

Shelly Bancroft and Peter Nesbett, co-publishers of Art on Paper, will deliver the conference's keynote address on March 27 at 9:30 a.m. in the Landmark Theater.

Attendees must be registered for many of the events at the 2008 Southern Graphics Council Conference.

For more information, visit http://www.sgc.vcu.edu/index.html, or contact Andrew Kozlowski at commandprint@vcu.edu or 804-828-1574.