A Brief History

The Printmaking Workshop (PMW) was founded in 1948 by Robert Blackburn for the purpose of providing printmaking facilities and collaborative opportunities to any artist. Blackburn pioneered new techniques in fine art lithography with artists Will Barnet, Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden among others in his workshop throughout the 50’s.  In 1957, while still running PMW, Blackburn became the first Master Printer for Universal Limited Art Editions where he collaborated with and introduced printmaking to artists Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Helen Frankenthaler, and Robert Motherwell.  Blackburn’s innovative spirit and generosity made him an excellent collaborator and teacher. 

PMW incorporated as a not-for-profit in 1971 where Blackburn began expanding the reach and the goals of the workshop.  Fellowship programs to bring in artists from around the globe changed the dynamic of the studio and helped to spread printmaking workshops to South Africa, Morocco, Ghana, and Australia. The workshop served as the training ground for many printers working in the premier publishing printshops and gave artists their first introduction into the New York City art scene.

In 2003 Robert Blackburn willed the Printmaking Workshop to the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts with the expressed purpose that the workshop would live on, continuing to support all artists regardless of race, gender, creed or socioeconomic background.  It was through a mutual desire to help artists make their work that EFA Executive Director Jane Stephenson and Robert Blackburn came to an agreement that breathed new life into one of the most culturally important institutions in New York City.  Banded together, RBPMW is now a program of EFA and reaches more than 7,000 people per year from countries all over the world.

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