Press & Pull: A Legacy of the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop
On View at Gallery 400: Sep 11–Dec 12, 2026
Press & Pull: A Legacy of the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop surveys the origins, collaboration, and technical innovation of the US’s oldest and continuously operating cooperative workshop. Founded in 1947 by artist, educator, and master printer Robert Blackburn (1920–2003), the Workshop arose during an era of racial segregation when artists of color had limited opportunities, and from the dissolution of the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project (1935–43), which had supported community art centers across the country, including Chicago’s South Side Community Art Center. Blackburn filled the void with the Printmaking Workshop, creating a shared space for racial integration and collective creativity.
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