Artisan fans countdown to Printmakers Fair in Ironbridge Gorge this summer

Artistic expression and crafts at its very best is coming to the new Footprint Gallery, Jackfield in the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site in Telford this Summer. 

The Printmakers Fair which opens on Friday 28 July and runs through to Sunday 30 July, will exhibit some of the regions most talented printmakers and their unique collections.

The talented artists on show will present unique creations that reflect the rich heritage and contemporary innovations in the world of printmaking, to captivate art enthusiasts and the local community. 

With over 180 framed original prints, alongside unframed browser prints and handmade printed gifts, cards and merchandise, the event will showcase a vibrant array of printmaking techniques some dating back hundreds of years. Expect to see a rich collection of print forms from linocuts, woodcuts, collagraph, silkscreen, blind embossing, etching and Gyotaku (a Japanese technique traditionally using sumi ink and fish).

Admission to The Printmakers Fair is FREE, and visitors will have the opportunity to view the artwork and to meet some of the artists who will be in residence over the 3 days.  Visitor will also have the chance to purchase artwork on the day to take home with them.

The Printmakers Fair will be hosted in the Footprint Galley, located within Fusion in the historic village of Jackfield in the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site. 

The inspirational gallery is committed to fostering creativity, supporting artists, and engaging the local community in a vibrant artistic dialogue. With its tranquil setting and commitment to artistic excellence, the Footprint Gallery is set to become a hub for art enthusiasts, collectors, and artists alike.

Have a great day out -  The event takes place in the heart of Ironbridge Gorge and visitors to the fair not only can immerse in the arts event but with the heritage towns of the gorge there is so much to enjoy and entertain you.  Why not enjoy a refreshment at the nearby Jackfield Tile Museum Café, lunch at one of our heritage pubs.  Go explore the wider artisan community of the Gorge taking in Maws Craft Centre, Coalport and the Wharfage with its many artisan shops and studios.  .

Stay a little longer - For those wanting to make a weekend of it, escape to the gorge for an artisan break, whether you are looking for a retro retreat, a hideaway cottage by the river or a bed and breakfast were hospitality and local food awaits, the perfect stay awaits.  Click here to book your break.   

For more information about the event click here   and visit the galleries Instagram page here. 

Just some of the artists that will exhibit at the Printmakers Fair:

Drusilla Cole
Drusilla is a printmaker specialising in reduction linocuts. Her current body of work uses complex linocuts to depict people in swimming scenes, drawn from her love of portraying people and their interactions with water, whether at the seaside, in swimming pools or in wild swimming locations. 



 

Francis Allwood 

Working with a traditional cast iron etching press in her attic studio, Francis handprints beautiful drypoints, etchings and monotypes. Francis is passionate about drawing as a foundation of her work, and is inspired by a life-long love of animals and nature. Her current focus is the rewilding of Eurasian beavers and British mammals. 

 

 Jacqui Dodds 
Jacqui is drawn to rich layers of human history within the built environment, visiting towns and cities alongside more rural locations. Using silkscreen, linocut and blind embossing she distils memories of places visited and objects within them. Colour plays a significant role, whether subtle or vibrant. Using a limited palette or leaving areas untouched, she explores space and mood within images.
 

Estella Scholes 

Estella’s work is abstract, exploring the textures, colours and simplified shapes of both natural and manmade forms found on the coast and in ancient landscapes, eroded by the processes of time, tide and weather. She uses several printmaking techniques, primarily collagraph, etching and monoprint.  Her most recent work combines collagraph with printing plates to create abstract compositions. 

 

Charlotte Tenneson

Charlotte works from her coach house studio, using her etching press to produce her handmade prints. Her practice, mainly linocut and monoprint, explores her meadow, the Shropshire landscape and the insects and wildlife that are attracted to it. Using her observational sketchbook drawings and traditional battleship grey lino her work celebrates nature and wildlife.