PHILADELPHIA, PA.-Philadelphia Print Collaborative is pleased to introduce its fifth annual Philadelphia Invitational Portfolio: a portfolio of fine art prints published annually by area artists and print shops. A fifth anniversary exhibition at Silicon Gallery, 139 North Third Street in Old City, Philadelphia, presents the entire portfolio collection to date, including the newly-published 2005 portfolio. The exhibit runs through November 26, 2005.

The portfolio is designed to provide opportunity for local artists, affordable artwork for collectors, and visibility for area print shops. In the five years of the Philadelphia Invitational Portfolio, the Print Collaborative has published thirty-four editioned, original prints (a total of 1070 prints!). The success of the program in reaching its goals invites us to review its evolution.

The artists: experimentation - The portfolio program creates opportunity for artists and print shops to collaborate; provides a means for artists to create and show their work; and encourages artists from other disciplines to experiment with printmaking and learn new skills. Daniel Heyman said of his experience this year, “Never having made a silkscreen before, I am now full of ideas for more screen prints.” And he’s not the only one: neither Astrid Bowlby nor sculptor Harold Ivey had ever made a print before, stained-glass artist Judith Schaechter learned a fresh approach to art-making, and the experienced printmaker Rochelle Toner had never had a collaborative printing experience with a master printmaker before. These are just a few of the new experiences artists have commented on. 2005 portfolio artist Dennis Lo said of his experience working with Silicon Gallery Fine Art Prints:

“…Working with Silicon Gallery was…a positive experience. They were supportive and went out of their way to experiment and test the limits of my work. I believe the portfolio program brings out the best from the artists in the community.”

Daniel Heyman also expressed his point-of-view on the benefit of participating in the program, “The portfolio acts as a community builder among artists who rarely have the chance to create work together, and connects new participants with an ongoing project. [In addition,] working with a professional shop as a guest artist establishes a level of respect for what we do as artists.”

Another benefit of participating in the program is that prestigious collections take notice of the prints. The Free Library of Philadelphia has consistently collected the works. That means that almost every artist, established and emerging, from the 2001 through 2005 portfolios has a piece of their artwork in this world-class collection. The portfolio’s inclusion in this and other collections is a testament to the outstanding work that area artists produce and the program itself acts as a growing chronicle of that artwork.

The collectors: accessibility - After the publication of the first portfolio in November 2001, Gerard Brown wrote in the Philadelphia Weekly, “…artwork participates in two markets simultaneously – one of dollars and cents and another of values and ideas.” The portfolio program has striven to address both of these needs: providing both accessibility and quality.

This dynamic coupling of opportunity not only inspires the august collector, but those who have never before considered collecting work as well. New collector Deborah Wyse says of the portfolio program, “PPC has opened up a whole new world to me. Through their events and activities, I have met local artists, learned about printmaking techniques and enjoy a growing print collection…” Michelle Jackson, also a new collector, says of the portfolio program:

“I started with one... and I'm already up to six! … I've learned to love and fear the portfolio each year -- I love to see what local artists have done in their collaborations with the PPC shops and I fear that I will not be able to resist the next purchase. I never imagined myself as someone who would own ‘real’ art and yet here I am doing it, one piece at a time.”

The portfolio committee, comprised of representatives from each of the participating print shops, has consistently chosen low prices for each of the prints to ensure affordability. Where else can you buy a Virgil Marti for under $600? Credit card options, payment plans and discounts for members are three more reasons why collectors keep coming back for more.