60 x 60 The Wondering Mind: an international touring print exhibition

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K. Gwen Frank, "Inkling," 2015

intaglio-aquatint/paper, 12 cm diameter

Opening reception: Saturday October 14th 1-4pm

One of the 60 participating artists, K. Gwen Frank, Calgary,will attend to welcome visitors.

We would like to thank the organizers from Belgium & Slovakia, Chris Verheyen and Zora Petrasova, for bringing so many wonderful international artists and their work together, for this world touring show, as well as everyone who generously assisted bringing to the public the individual exhibitions.

The initiative for 60 X 60 The Wondering Mind grew out of a longstanding friendship and creative collaboration between Slovak curator, Zora Petrasova, and Belgian gallery owner / printmaker, Chris Verheyen. Their two decades of work together has extended into 23 countries abroad. As they both turned 60 years in March 2015, they launched this exhibition at Epreuve d’Artiste Gallery in Antwerp, Belgium, as a unique way in which to celebrate their shared landmark.

They asked 60 artists from over 20 countries — including Pakistan, Palestine, Ukraine, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Nepal, France, United Kingdom, Slovakia, China, Czech Republic, Scotland, New Zealand, Romania, Norway, The Netherlands, Japan, Russia, Hungary, South Africa, & Egypt — to create an original, editioned print, on the theme ‘the wondering mind’, utilizing a copper plate of 12 cm in diameter that each received through the post.

The circle shape, as a symbol of friendship and cooperation, is used with intent to celebrate the international language of printmaking, breaking through prejudice and the limitations of national boundaries, political situations and religious belief.Canadian Printmakers: K. Gwen Frank and Laine Groeneweg

K. Gwen Frank graduated with honours from Alberta College of Art and Design (4 yr. diploma 1983, and BFA 2002) and continued independent fine art studies at the University of Calgary. She has participated in over a hundred juried national and international exhibitions, and has had a number of solo exhibitions.

She has given intaglio workshops and lectures at Wake Forest University, North Carolina, Hollins University, Virginia, at University of Waterloo, Ontario, and throughout Alberta. She continues to work from her Calgary & East Coulee, Alberta studios, focusing on intaglio techniques, watercolour and drawing.

“My images are hand drawn & etched with resists & acid into copperplate, then inked & printed on a hand operated intaglio/etching press in my home studio.

Through my work I try to elicit the sublime residing within the mundane, speaking to my innate passion for the Canadian prairies & the Rocky Mountain foothills — a land in whose language I think and dream.

Drawing from events in my life, I juxtapose ordinary narrative elements to embrace mystery, and to reflect parallels, coincidence or happenstance that can illuminate an ordinary life, if there is such a thing.”

K. Gwen Frank, Calgary, 2017

Laine Groeneweg is an artist living in Hamilton, Ontario. He received his BFA from York University in 2004 and subsequently trained as a professional printmaker at Fondazione Il Bisonte Per Lo Studio Dell’Arte Grafica in Florence, Italy.

In his personal art practice, Laine is most widely recognized for his work in mezzotint & etching. Much of his work is centred around themes of work and play. His prints have been exhibited in Canada and Internationally in Australia, Japan, Italy, Russia, Taiwan and the United States.