For Immediate Release August 12, 2021
PYRAMID CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY WITH EXHIBITION OF REDISCOVERED WORKS BY SIGNIFICANT ARTISTS
Largely unseen and notable works to be unveiled
(Hyattsville, MD)—Beginning on September 17 and running for 8 successive weeks, Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Hyattsville, MD will celebrate its 40th anniversary with an exhibition of treasured archives by many significant artists, curated by Pyramid’s Founder Helen C. Frederick and entitled Reflecting Back to the Future.
The works are part of a collection resulting from a printmaking and publishing residency that Pyramid operated from 1981-2007. Many of the prints have been in storage for decades, remaining unseen by the world at-large. Most of the works in the exhibition will be for sale, with proceeds going to Pyramid Atlantic Art Center’s Next 40 Fund.
Reflecting Back to the Future opens to the public September 17th with FREE timed tickets for the opening weekend. The exhibition runs through November 14, 2021. Pyramid is located at 4318 Gallatin Street, Hyattsville Maryland 20781. More info at pyramidatlantic.org or 301-608-9101.
Works by forty artists will be featured in the exhibition while the rest of the archive will be available for viewing online. Many of the artists who participated in the residency have since achieved greater prominence and influence. Selected artists include multimedia artist Ke Francis, acclaimed printmakers Margaret Prentice and Andrew Rafferty, and regional talents such as Joyce Scott (a MacArthur Award recipient). The exhibition will also honor several artists who have passed, including William Christenberry, Michael B. Platt, Jiro Okura, Kevin MacDonald, Tim Rollins, Miriam Schapiro, Patricia Tobacco Forrester, and most recently, Hung Liu (who will be honored with a retrospective at the National Portrait Gallery this fall).
“Over time appreciation and visibility of print media has shifted dramatically to the forefront, and we are thrilled to feature from our publications the works of many of the most groundbreaking artists and printmakers who changed that perception in our possession,” says Frederick.
All the work produced for the twenty-six year residency program had been put away in storage for the last few decades. Then, around four years ago the organization started looking into their archives, realizing the amazing work and number of high profile artists stored away. Since that time, Pyramid has digitized each work and is now putting the prints up for sale as part of their long-term sustainability plan, “The Next 40 Fund.”
“Pyramid Atlantic has been vital to both our local community, and as these works show, the printmaking world at-large,” says Pyramid Executive Director, Kate Taylor Davis. “We are thrilled that we will be able to exhibit such notable pieces on such a significant milestone, our 40th anniversary.”
Over the course of the eight weeks, Pyramid will also host talks, workshops and other events with many of the artists involved in the exhibition. Those dates and details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Full Artist List: Ken Aptekar, Maria Barbosa, William Christenberry, Y. David Chung, Jan Cincera, Jerry Clapsaddle, Buck Downs, Bill Dunlap, Patricia Tobacco Forrester, Ke Francis, Susan J. Goldman, Lonnie Graham, Tom Green, Michael Gross, Ellen Hill, Shireen Holman, Rick Hungerford, Shoichi Ida, Teresa Jaynes, Bridget Sue Lambert, Hung Liu, Kevin MacDonald, Despina Meimaroglou, Larry Mullins, Tom Nakashima, Alice Notley, Naomi Shihab Nye, Jiro Okura, Michael B. Platt, Phyllis Plattner, Kenneth Polinskie, Margaret Prentice, Andrew Raftery, Tim Rollins and K.O.S, Miriam Schapiro, Joyce Scott, May Swenson, Yuriko Yamaguchi.
This Project has been financed in part with State Funds from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, an instrumentality of the State of Maryland. However, Project contents or opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. The project is further supported by Maryland Milestones; the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County; Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council; The Maryland State Arts Council; and The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.
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ABOUT PYRAMID ATLANTIC ART CENTER
Founded in 1981, Pyramid Atlantic is a nonprofit contemporary art center fostering the creative disciplines of papermaking, printmaking, and book arts within a collaborative community. We equip, educate, and exhibit in our historic Hyattsville home. Our vision is to create an artistic hub in Hyattsville that inspires and enables local, national, and international artists to create and innovate in our core disciplines; elevates the local arts and small business scene; and enhances the quality of life for artists and neighbors. We value artistic excellence, infrastructure for artists, hands-on experiences, and collaboration.