etched by wind and water
etched by wind and water is an exhibition that presents a survey of 20 artists who are from and have called Newfoundland and Labrador home. This constellation of prints from the St. Michael’s Printshop archive highlights diverse print media techniques and creative practices that thematically reflect on land, water, home, relationship to place, and imagination. This exhibition poetically and conceptually connects the process of etching images to a plate or stone, the relationship between the wind and water shaping the lives of the artists, and the ways the water shapes the rocky terrain of this place we call home.
Founded in 1974 by artists Heidi Oberheide and Don Wright, St. Michael’s Printshop remains a place of significance to artistic production in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, across Canada, and internationally. From the beginnings in the outport of St. Michael’s to the bustling downtown St. John’s, artists have been community building, engaging in artistic production, fellowship, and gathering at the water’s edge for 50 years at St. Michael’s Printshop.
St. Michael’s Printshop
Established in 1974, St. Michael’s Printshop (SMP) exists to develop and grow printmaking as a participatory and accessible art form. SMP provides the facilities and opportunity for visual artists from across the province, Canada, and internationally, as well as for its local community, to learn and engage in the art of printmaking. One of the province’s few artist-run centres and the only artist-run printmaking studio, SMP promotes and continues to push the boundaries of printmaking as a contemporary art form. SMP provides space and specialized equipment for artists to work, educational opportunities through scholarships and workshops, and residencies through its visiting artist program.
Curator
Emily Critch is an award winning Mi’kmaw and settler curator, writer, and artist from Elmastukwek, Ktaqmkuk Territory (Bay of Islands, NL) currently based in St. John’s. Their recent curatorial projects include Daze Jefferies first major solo exhibition “stay here stay how stay” at The Rooms, “eltu’n klaman mukwite’ten | making to remember” at the Demasduit Regional Museum, and Jerry Evans solo exhibition Mimajuaqne’kati | Place of Life at the Owens Art Gallery. Critch has published exhibition texts, reviews, and essays with several venues including Eastern Edge, The Rooms, Eyelevel, and Visual Arts News, and they were the 2024 recipient of the VANL CARFAC Critical Eye Award for Arts Writing.