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Printmaking

Murray State printmaking students raise their shoes up as they show off their work. A printmaking student runs a sponge over his print to clean off the excess ink.

 

The Printmaking program at Murray State University is a community-based learning environment that provides a strong, skill-based education in traditional and contemporary print processes, where students build professional portfolios, engage in collaborative problem-solving, and participate in a nationally recognized visiting artist program. 

In introductory printmaking classes, you will learn the fundamentals of intaglio and relief printing, including collagraph, drypoint, etching, and linoleum cuts. Upper-level printmaking classes introduce lithography, screen printing, photo-based processes, and print installation, with an emphasis on printmaking proficiency and personal expression. 

You can emphasize in Printmaking while pursuing any of the following:

The Printmaking program has a strong tradition of visiting artists, supported by the Patricia L. Summerville Lecture Series. Each semester, a nationally known printmaker comes to campus to lead a workshop while publishing a print edition. This high-impact teaching practice allows students to assist with the printing process, learn directly from working artists, and gain hands-on experience that strengthens both their education and their resumes.

What career options will I have with an art degree?

Printmaking provides students with a process for working by hand and digitally, often combining their work with other media. The coursework prepares students for graduate school or careers in the arts. Our alumni have gone on to work in a wide range of creative fields, including printmaking, studio art, illustration, graphic design, art education, arts administration, and museum and gallery work.

Madeline Bartley is a Murray State printmaking alum.

“MSU's printmaking program is truly the origins of my artistic practice and lifelong venture as a printmaker. The program and facilities provided me with a strong foundation to flourish. From my beginnings as a print major, I was shown how to have a dedicated work ethic, strive for quality satisfaction in what I produce, and a community extending outside the boundaries of MSU's campus from attending the print conferences while getting my Bachelors degree.”

Madeline BartleyBFA Printmaking 2012, MFA Syracuse University 2016, Lead Printer at Red Disk in Buffalo, New York, reddiskstudio.com
Printmaking students work with silkscreen presses.
A printmaking student operates a lithographic press.

Facilities

  • 3,621 square feet of studio space divided into the following three lab spaces:
    • intaglio and relief
    • lithography and letter press 
    • screenprinting and book art
  • Three etching presses, including a large Takach Press (48x25) and two litho presses
  • Darkroom space for screenprinting and photo lithography and etching
  • Library of lithography stones and large graining sink 
  • Seven screenprinting tables with screen storage
  • Studios are equipped for traditional and green printmaking process and practices
  • 24 hour access

Student Work

Student illustration of a tree stump, logs, and an axe.
Student illustration of a green skull surrounded by tentacles.
Student illustration of a woman building rickety structures.
Student illustration of a textured manta ray floating through an ocean of dots.
Student illustration of a patched-up dock.
Student illustration of a black-and-white wooden circle at the center of overlapping red, blue, and yellow circles.
Student illustration of a humanoid figure with a post with a missing persons poster for a head wearing an American flag shirt from Old Navy.
Student illustration of a woman’s face made from scribbles.
Student illustration of a piece of fabric with humanoid arms crossed.

Courses Offered

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