The third annual printPHILLY! fair will bring together printmakers and printmaking enthusiasts on Saturday, April 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Parkway Central Library.
“I consider the fair as much of a networking event for the community as it is for the community to be able to share their work with the public,” said Jennifer Manzella, an organizer with the Philadelphia Print Consortium, whose members organize the fair every year on a voluntary basis.
The fair grew out of a need within Philadelphia’s long-established printmaking community to come together and share their work. During its years of planning and existence, it has faced several challenges.
“In 2017, it started with a group of anywhere from 10 to 15 people. We would meet every six months in somebody’s studio, at somebody’s shop,” Manzella said. “We were trying to figure out what we should do. Should we do an exhibition? What do we put our energy into?”
In 2019, Nicole Donnelly, an artist and professor and one of the Consortium members, suggested they create a fair. “And it came together pretty fast,” Manzella said. At least, that was the case at the beginning. The first print fair was originally scheduled for March 14, 2020, and, as we all know, in-person events across the country were canceled around that time due to the pandemic.
“Obviously, the event did not happen. We went into lockdown for a couple of years. So, when we reconnected in 2022, we then decided that we needed to put our energies towards the project,” said Manzella. Almost after six years of planning, they held the first fair in Spring 2023.
During its first two years, the fair took place at the University of the Arts. However, after UArts abruptly closed in June 2024, the Consortium had to find a new venue for this year’s fair. “So, that was a bit of growing pains right there,” Manzella added.
But the group of 8 to 10 volunteers organizing the fair remains just as enthusiastic and values the importance of this gathering. This year, the fair will bring together university programs, community print shops, printmaking collectives and individual printmakers and artists, all in one place. There will be more than 47 tables, which could be reserved for individuals or groups.
Aside from the table fee, the Philadelphia Print Consortium does not retain any percentage of sales, offering attendees a chance to directly invest in local or small Philly businesses. “It’s an opportunity for artists, community print shops and print communities to sell their work and it’s very successful,” Manzella said.
This event welcomes art lovers, anyone curious about printmaking, and even those skeptical about how enduring this art form can be in this digital age. “[As a professor], I have to think how this obsolete media is important, right? Because no longer do we rely on it for commercial purposes anymore and it has become more of an expressive medium,” Manzella shared. “And I think it’s important because it connects us to the physical world. It connects us to that material culture that is part of our history. It’s part of our cultural heritage.”
This one-day event is free and open to the public. You can find a full list of vendors and participants at printPHILLY! 2025.
Some highlights:
- Guest speaker: Lauren Rosenblum, Curator of the The Print Center, at 11:00 a.m.
- Hands-on Printmaking with Mural Arts – an opportunity to participate in a collaborative mural from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Where to find more events and submission calls for the printmaking community in Philadelphia:
