Graphic designer Derek Landers and Liberty Gallery coordinator Amy Wharf came into the KPBX studio to speak with E.J. Iannelli about the Liberty Gallery's print-focused "Enigma" exhibition and how it falls under the wider umbrella of Spokane PrintFest 2024. Both the exhibition and the festival run throughout the month of April.
Landers is the designer of the new Spokane flag; he's also the art director at The Great PNW and his own Landers Design. He gave some background on the Spokane Print & Publishing Center (SPPC), which is collaborating with the Liberty Gallery on this exhibition. He also talked about how the broader printmaking scene in Spokane is flourishing.
Wharf spoke about the current "Enigma" exhibition and described some of the pieces on display. Some artists are approaching the theme through the lens of history, as in the case of a portrait of Alan Turing, who developed the Enigma machine. Other artists, like Landers, have created works with enigmatic qualities.
Discussion then moved on to PrintFest 2024, including some of the workshops on offer during the monthlong festival and the way it aims to cultivate public appreciation for the art of printmaking. Along with "Enigma" at the Liberty Gallery, the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture and the Terrain Gallery are hosting print-centric exhibitions of their own during PrintFest.
The "Enigma" exhibition opened at the Liberty Gallery (203 N Washington St.) on Monday and runs there until April 27. The opening night reception is on Friday, April 5.
More information on the Liberty Gallery is available at the Liberty Building website. And for details on this year's PrintFest, including an event and workshop calendar, visit the Spokane PrintFest website.
