Printmaking event showcases ’14 winner

The Merced Multicultural Arts Center has planned a reception for its new exhibit to coincide with the Merced Art Hop, both happening Saturday.

The ninth annual printmaking show’s reception is set for 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday in the center, 645 W. Main St.

This year’s show will feature two artists, Melinda Whipplesmith Plank and Beth Fein, the winner and runner-up of last year’s show, respectively. Also showing are works from Print and Glory, Fresno State’s printmaking club.

Plank is a print artist from the mountains of Northern California. Landscapes and wildlife are common subjects of her work, according to a press release.

“I love printmaking because the possibilities are endless and the images have a more powerful presence as nonessential elements are removed to clearly convey a feeling,” she said in a press release. “To me, prints create a visual haiku poem.”

Plank is a member of the California Society of Printmakers, and a lifelong educator. Her work has recently received acclaim both regionally and internationally, according to a press release. Perhaps most notably was her inclusion in the 2014 “Birds in Art” show at the Leigh Yawkey Museum in Wisconsin.

Fein, who is based in Berkeley, is known to practice an eclectic blend of printmaking, installation, performance and interactive public art, according to a press release.

She received her degree from the College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. She has worked in Montana and Vermont, as well as Spain, Argentina and Mexico. She also has art collections at both the San Francisco Art Commission and Oakland Museum of California, according to a press release.

Print and Glory, established in 2010, includes current and former students from the art department’s printmaking program, as well as non-students. The members exhibit their work regularly in downtown Fresno.

The reception for the artists aligns with Merced Art Hop, a popular quarterly event that brings people to downtown Merced. The hop is set from 5 to 9 p.m. along Main Street, between G and N streets.

The printmaking show is set to be up through July 23. As always, admission to the center is free.

For gallery hours, go to www.artsmerced.org.

This story was originally published April 16, 2015 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Printmaking event showcases ’14 winner."