Planning is now underway for the launch of a new international printmaking festival in 2027, featuring:
- Industry print symposium
- Two-day Print Fair
- Multi-venue exhibition program
- Day and night public space activations
- Printmaking workshops and masterclasses
Printmaking Symposium
The Symposium will bring together printmakers and print studios from across Australia, the Indo-Pacific and Oceania to share their knowledge and experience through a future-focused program of presentations, panel discussions, artist talks and case studies.
The Symposium program will include:
- Keynote addresses by leading Australian and international printmakers
- A two-day seminar program focusing on current trends in printmaking
- Artist talks, panel discussions and presentations by leading contemporary printmakers
Print Fair
The two-day Print Fair will feature works by independent printmakers, commercial galleries, Indigenous Art Centres and print collectives, offering visitors the opportunity to purchase original prints and works on paper. The fair will showcase a wide range of print media, including etchings, linocuts, woodcuts, screenprints, lithographs, risographs, prints on metal and other substrates, photographic transfers, textiles, artist books and cards.
Exhibitions and Public Space Activations
The festival will include print-focused exhibitions presented at NorthSite, Cairns Art Gallery and other gallery spaces throughout Cairns. A program of day and night public projects, light works and multidisciplinary performance will extend the festival into the city’s public spaces.
Printmaking Workshops and Masterclasses
Led by leading artists and printmakers from Australia and overseas, the workshops and masterclasses are designed to develop the skills of printmakers at every stage of their practice, from emerging to established.
International Residency Program
Printmakers from Australian and international print collectives will be invited to participate in a residency program, developing new work ahead of the Symposium and Festival.
Publications
Symposium papers will be published online alongside reproductions of artworks and documentation of the festival program. Together, these resources will form a permanent, freely accessible archive for academic, specialist and public audiences.
Stay Updated
Dates and further program details are currently being finalised. Subscribe to our newsletter <here> to stay up to date with the latest announcements and opportunities. You can also follow us on <Instagram> and <Facebook>.
Contact
For more information, contact Adam Boyd, Interim CEO, NorthSite Contemporary Arts, at ceo@northsite.org.au.