Cleveland, OH (May 16, 2019) – The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) today announced an extraordinary gift from the Print Club of Cleveland. In commemoration of its 2019 centennial, the club has presented the museum with a $300,000 gift to be used for the acquisition of prints and drawings and the exhibition of works on paper. Such gifts are vital for the museum’s mission to make the finest art from around the globe available to all.
“For 100 years, the Print Club of Cleveland has generously supported the CMA and its spectacular collection of prints,” said William Griswold, director of the Cleveland Museum of Art. “With this wonderful gift, the museum will further enhance its renowned collection of prints and drawings and continue presenting the very best in world-class art exhibitions.”
The oldest print club in the U.S., the Print Club of Cleveland is a source of enrichment for print collectors and enthusiasts. Now in its 100th year, the club has remained dedicated to its founders’ purposes of stimulating interest in prints from old master to contemporary and print collecting, as well as augmenting the print collection of the CMA. The Print Club has purchased some of the finest works in the museum’s print collection, including unsurpassed impressions of prints by masters of every period—including Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Edgar Degas and Pablo Picasso.
“Securing funding to support the presentation of special exhibitions and the acquisition of new works of art is an important initiative called for in our strategic plan,” said John Easley, deputy director and chief philanthropy officer. “We are grateful to the Print Club for its unwavering dedication to the CMA and its collection.”
“The Print Club is delighted to make this gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art,” said Neal Rains, president of the Print Club of Cleveland. “As we move into our next 100 years, we look forward to continuing to support this renowned institution, as well as educating the public about printmaking and the fascinating and enjoyable activity of print collecting.”
In celebration of the Print Club’s centennial, the CMA presents A Lasting Impression: Gifts of the Print Club of Cleveland. This exhibition showcases a selection of significant prints generously donated to the museum by the Print Club over the past 100 years. A Lasting Impression, which includes more than 60 gifts, thematically traces Western printmaking over the course of six centuries, through subjects ranging from landscape to abstraction and techniques including woodcut, etching and screenprint.
“The depth and quality of the works in this exhibition underscore the Print Club’s impact on the CMA’s internationally recognized print collection,” said Emily Peters, curator of prints and drawings. “The print collection would quite simply not be what it is today without the incredible support of the club.”
A Lasting Impression: Gifts of the Print Club of Cleveland is on view now through September 22, 2019, in the James and Hanna Bartlett Prints and Drawings Gallery.
Save the date:
The Print Club of Cleveland’s 35th annual Fine Print Fair will take place Thursday, September 12 through Sunday, September 15, 2019.
Major Sponsor of A Lasting Impression: Gifts of the Print Club of Cleveland
The Print Club of Cleveland
