Imprint 2025
Welcome to Imprint 2025, our 17th annual high school print competition and exhibition!
This online exhibition represents a juried selection of works submitted by high school students from across Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties.
Theย Imprintย program encourages new generations of young artists in the medium of relief printmaking. For this yearโsย Imprintย exhibition we introduced the theme of โRenewal.โ For just about as long as thereโs been art, renewal has been a cornerstone to the artistโs creative process. As media has changed, new generations and new experiences bring new perspectives and new voices.
Wharton Esherick, himself, once said that if anyone wanted to really know him, all they had to do was look at his work. A look back over the incredible work produced over an illustrious four decade career reveals countless examples of renewal. He changed media multiple times, having dabbled in painting, drawing, ceramics, and, of course, wood! Esherick saw new possibilities in old and seemingly worthless things. Take, for example, the infamousย Hammer Handle Chair, one of about 45 total pieces made out of around 800 hammer handles he won at auction.
When Wharton Esherick was a young artist,ย woodcut printmaking was a critical medium in his artistic development. Through printmaking, Esherick transitioned from a young painter to an internationally recognized artist and furniture designer. You can see Esherickโs prints in our collection and in the collections of other institutions, including theย Philadelphia Museum of Art. To see a new print from the Esherick Museumโs collection every week, follow us onย Instagramย andย Facebookย ย each โWoodcut Wednesday.โ
Recognizing the pivotal role that printmaking played in Esherickโs life, we are delighted to once again highlight young artists who represent the future of this powerful medium, withย Imprint. We were once again astounded by the skill and creativity of the submissions and send a huge thank you to all the art teachers and students who shared their work with us!
First Place
Dinner Time
Madelyn Dannenfelser
Abington Senior High School
โMy Linocut represents the circle of life and the renewal that happens when an animal eats to survive. My inspiration for the piece was the way that some birds scavenge for food. The birds can still use the fish even though theyโre dead and renew their own appetites to continue living. The remnants from the tide going in and out represents how our environment is experiencing renewal all the time.โ
Second Place
Starfish
Ashlyn Heron
Archbishop Ryan High School
โThe starfish has the ability to regenerate limbs when they are lost. Thisย makes it a perfect symbol for renewal.โ
Third Place
Springtime Reconnection
Abi Heinrich
Abington High School
โThe work represents the renewal of Springtime and reconnection to natureย through mountains andย flowers.โ
Honorable Mentions
Repeating Raspberries
Kelly Johnson
Delaware County Christian School
โWe talk a great deal in Art class about being sustainable artists andย reducing our footprint on the Earth. We often view our artwork as aย renewed process in that we utilize a lot of recycled materials (in this case,ย we used only recycled fabric to create our tapestries.)โ
Cleansing
Nicole Robertson
Abington Senior High School
โMy entire life, water has represented a place of peace. Rain has washed away a dayโs grime and dirt, and the sound of the ocean has lulled me to sleep, but the most important body of water in my life was my baptismal font. This piece is inspired by the sense of renewal I felt during my baptism. I was new and reborn, and this piece conveys how during my baptism, I was renewed.โ
Viewerโs Choice Award
Second Wind
Ciaran Yudiono
Julia R. Masterman
โThis piece is about the importance of taking a moment to breathe again. Itโs about clearing your head when things feel overwhelming. When I felt trapped in my own room, simply getting a breath of fresh air could help me reset. Renewal, for me, is letting the breeze in through the window.โ
Finalists
Our Guest Juror: Judith Thomas
We are grateful to have had Judith Thomas, Deputy Director at Brandywine Workshop and Archives, as a guest juror for this yearโs Imprint competition. Judith has a long history serving in senior leadership roles at multidiscipline arts organizations. Most recently she was chief of staff at Philadelphia Contemporary and prior to that she served as director of exhibitions at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA). In addition to having a background in nonprofit strategic planning, administration, and financial management, Judith brings to BWA extensive experience in collections, exhibitions, and mentorship program management.
Projects managed include:
Making Community: Prints from the Brandywine Workshop and Archives, Brodsky Center at PAFA, and Paulson Fontaine Press, At One Stroke: The Prints of Helen Frankenthaler, and Stone and Metal: The Prints of Norman Lewis. Judith studied printmaking and painting at PAFA and is a graduate of University College, London University, England.
