Under Pressure: 2026 National Printmaking Exhibition

The Lincoln Center Art Gallery will participate in Colorado’s Month of Printmaking (Mo’Print), March 6–April 24, 2026, by presenting Under Pressure, a nationally juried exhibit of artworks consisting primarily of any printmaking media (relief printing, lithograph, silkscreen, intaglio, and monoprints). Selections for the exhibition will be made by our Guest Juror Johnny Plastini. 

The Lincoln Center Art Gallery will participate in Colorado’s Month of Printmaking (Mo’Print), March 6–April 24, 2026, by presenting Under Pressure, a nationally juried exhibit of artworks consisting primarily of any printmaking media (relief printing, lithograph, silkscreen, intaglio, and monoprints). Selections for the exhibition will be made by our Guest Juror, Johnny Plastini.

Johnny Plastini 

Johnny Plastini received his BA in interdisciplinary studio art from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and received his MFA in printmaking from the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He currently is an Associate Professor and Area Coordinator of Printmaking at Colorado State University (CSU), Fort Collins, as well as Co-Director of the Center for Artist Books and Inclusive Narratives at CSU. Professor Plastini has presented workshops on printmaking, papermaking, and book arts processes and exhibited his works extensively at various museums, conferences, non-profit spaces, art fairs, and galleries, both nationally and internationally.

As a part of Colorado's Month of Printmaking program (Mo’Print), this exhibit will be promoted with other printmaking focused gallery and museum exhibits that will go on across the state.

This call for entries is open to all artists 18 years and older living in the United States working in traditional and non-traditional printmaking media.

The Lincoln Center is a city-owned and operated cultural center in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is one of Colorado’s largest and most diverse presenters of professional theatre, dance, music, and visual arts. Annually, The Lincoln Center Art Gallery presents 5-7 rotating visual arts exhibitions in diverse media. The mission of The Lincoln Center Art Gallery is to promote and nourish the creation and appreciation of the visual arts.

IMPORTANT DATES

Deadline for Entries: January 26, 2026

Notification to Artists: Week of February 2, 2026

Shipped artwork due to The Lincoln Center: February 23-27, 2026, no earlier, please; hand-deliveries due, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 12–2 p.m.

Reception and Awards Ceremony: Saturday, March 7, 4-6 p.m. 

CASH AWARDS: $1500 in total, with a $750 Grand Prize award.

Entries must be of the artist’s original design (not a result of a class assignment) and completed in the past two years (since January 2024).

Questions? Contact Liz Good at lgood@fortcollins.gov or 970-416-2646

SHIPPING/INSURANCE

Artists are responsible for round-trip shipping and insurance (during shipping) of artworks. All shipments must include a prepaid return shipping label and be shipped in a container appropriate for re-use in return shipping. The Lincoln Center will insure artworks while on the premises. Please, no glass framing for shipped artworks, and no Styrofoam peanuts in packaging.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

• Artworks must be available for loan during the entire exhibition period.
• Accepted artwork must be shipped “installation ready” unless otherwise noted in the acceptance letter.
• Our preferred standard for 2D installation is a hanging wire or cleat. NO sawtooth hangers. Security hardware may be attached to the artwork frame, requiring small holes to be drilled into the back of the frame.
• All hanging hardware must be included along with detailed hanging instructions for any artwork that requires non-standard set-up or any artwork with more than one component piece,
• Only Plexiglas framing is accepted (no glass framing) for shipped 2D artwork.
• Each artwork must have a label attached on the back or bottom of the pieces containing the artist’s name and title of piece.
• The Lincoln Center will retain a 30% commission on all sales made as a result of the exhibition.
• The Lincoln Center reserves the right to use images of the artworks for educational and promotional purposes including but not limited to newspaper, television, radio, social media, and the Internet. Upon acceptance artists may be asked to submit a high-resolution image of the accepted artwork for such purposes.
• The Lincoln Center reserves the right not to exhibit a work for any reason.
• All accepted artists will be required to sign an Artwork Loan Agreement with the City of Fort Collins. Award-winners must submit an IRS Form W-9 for payment of cash awards and art sales. The Lincoln Center will send the form to the selected winners.

ELIGIBILITY

This call is open to artists residing in the United States, 18 and older.