Press
The International Fine Print Dealers Association sponsors and organizes the IFPDA Print Fair. Journalists seeking high resolution images, current press releases, and press quotes pertaining to the Fair may use the form to contact the IFPDA Office or call 212.674.6095.
The IFPDA welcomes general press inquiries regarding the Association and can provide assistance to journalists seeking expert knowledge about prints and editions.
Articles
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.
Who is exhibiting at the IFPDA Print Fair?
A.
Exhibitors at the Fair are selected from the IFPDA's member dealers and galleries. This year's fair will feature over 80 members, showcasing the Association's wide range of interests and specialties in printmaking from the sixteenth century to present day.
Q.
What is the IFPDA?
A.
The International Fine Print Dealers Association is a nonprofit organization of art dealers, galleries, and publishers in the field of fine prints committed to the highest standards of quality, ethics, and connoisseurship, and to promoting a greater appreciation of fine prints among collectors and the public. For more information about the IFPDA, or to receive a directory of members, please visit www.ifpda.org.
Q.
What are the exhibitors offering?
A.
Exhibitors will present nearly six centuries of printmaking from early woodcuts and traditional engravings, etchings and lithographs to innovative contemporary projects. The wide historical spectrum of artists' works on view includes Old Masters; Japanese prints; 19th and early 20th century American masters; European Impressionists and Modernists, as well as German Expressionists. Editions publishers exhibiting at the Fair will premiere new editions by contemporary artists, both prominent and emerging.
Q.
Who attends the Print Fair?
A.
7,000 visitors attended last year's show. The Fair's reputation for rare and exceptional works draws the elite collectors and curators in the field, while young collectors are attracted to the high quality and wide range of its affordable works. Given its stature as one of the most important events for the medium, it also draws artists, scholars, educators, museum patrons, and art enthusiasts. Tickets to the event cost $20 per day or $40 for all four days, and are available for purchase either at the door or in advance. Admission includes an IFPDA Membership Directory.
Q.
May I join the IFPDA and exhibit at this year's Fair?
A.
No. Election to membership requires a high level of expertise, ethics, and professional integrity. The number of years a dealer or gallery has been in business is taken into account along with the quality of art offered for sale, the caliber of their exhibitions and published catalogues, and the international stature of artists they may publish or represent. Membership in the IFPDA does not guarantee acceptance to the Print Fair. Currently there is a two-year waiting period for admittance to the Fair for new members.
Q.
How do artists exhibit their work at the Fair?
A.
Artists do not exhibit independently at the Fair. Exhibitors are galleries, art dealers, and publishers of editions. They make their own independent choices about the artists' works they will bring and exhibit at the Fair.
Q.
What is a fine print?
A.
A "fine" or "original" print is a work of art which the artist creates as a unique work. It is not a photo-mechanical copy of a painting or a work in another medium. An artist makes a print by drawing, etching or carving a composition on a hard surface such as a woodblock, metal plate, or stone. This surface is then inked and the image is transferred to paper or another material by applying pressure, resulting in an impression or print. Prints usually exist in multiple impressions, called editions, each of which is pulled by hand from the inked surface. There is a wide range of techniques for printmaking, each which yields its own distinctive appearance. To learn more about prints, see What is a Print?
Q.
How do I get a Press Pass?
A.
To obtain a Press Pass, please contact the IFDPA office at (212) 674-6095. You must provide your affiliation (i.e. the publication you write for), with address and phone number. Please note that the Press Pass does not include entry to Wednesday night's Preview. This event is a benefit for the Department of Prints and Illustrated Books of The Museum of Modern Art. Early access to the Fair is possible for members of the press only by prior arrangement with the IFPDA office. Please be aware that to schedule an advanced viewing you must have a verifiable press deadline.
Q.
Is the venue equipped for assisted access?
A.
Ramp access is available on Lexington Avenue at the large loading door located between 66th and 67th Streets. On the north side of this entrance there is also an intercom that rings directly to the Conservancy security staff who will be available at all times to assist visitors with entry to the venue. You may also make arrangements before your arrival to the Fair by calling the Armory's main security desk at (212) 616-3950, extension 1.