Philagrafika, formerly known as the Philadelphia Print Collaborative, was founded in 2000 in recognition of a growing convergence in Philadelphia of artists, educators, curators, non-profit arts organizations, galleries, print workshops and museums that needed a central organizing body for cooperative initiatives. Philagrafika builds upon the Philadelphia region’s rich printmaking history and abundant artistic resources to enhance the city’s presence as an international center for innovative printmaking.
In 2010, the organization produced its first quadrennial event, Philagrafika 2010: The Graphic Unconscious, a collaborative, citywide event celebrating print in contemporary art and showcasing internationally acclaimed and locally recognized artists.
Philagrafika’s mission is to promote and sustain printmaking as a vital and valued art form by providing artistic, programmatic and administrative leadership for large-scale, cooperative initiatives with broad public exposure. They do this through an international contemporary art festival, an annual invitational portfolio and special projects. Their programs have been designed to present new curatorial and critical models for printmaking – models in which the medium is presented as an integral component of current artistic practice.
