About Us
In a world where the Arts have become industrialised and commodified there is a constant tension between artists and their work beyond what is necessary for the creative process.
Will it offend? will it sell? will it aid my career? will it be understood? will it be noticed?The dictates of commercialism run deep and to the consternation of artist who refuses to follow the days fashion, doubt sets in. The interesting yet insidious question arises, "why make Art?" when to make-truthfully and uncompromisingly-is at the heart of being an artist.
CPM will continue ......creating and sharing the free-flow of imagination, making challenging art for questioning minds.
History
Contemporary Print Makers
A short history1989
A few Tweed Valley artists meet regularly for a coffee at a mutual friends house across the road from the piggery. They eventually find themselves in a shed at the rear of the house, drawing fron the model. The seed is planted in fertile soil. One day someone turns up with an old converted washing mangle. Word gets around; and others joined the group and many experimental prints, later the first exhibition at the old Tweed River Gallery is organised.1991
Talk begins of bigger things and two years later The CPM National Print Awards begin. Membership of the CPM grows as isolated artists find a home. Entries for the Awards increase. Art trek lead tourism into the beautiful Tweed Valley and the CPM workshop each Christmas.1995
After brief sojourns at the Condong sugar mill and Buringbar CPM applies for and moves into a disused station at Bray Park.1997
The awards become biennial. CPM became more political during the Hansen era, stagging the fringe festival and maintaining correspondence with their artist friends in Hanoi.2000
The collaborative illustrated poetic project "Rough-tongued Bell'is exhibited interstate
and The Fricnds ofthe TRRAG and Barbara Carroll come on board as Awards' sponsors2003
Traditions begin.The Chinese Horoscope offers the first exhibition of the year in the new
CPM Workshop Gallery. A much sort after Judge's Workshop is introduced when the CPM
members build extensions to the workshop. In alternative years CPM reaches beyond their
immediate environment with exhibitions interstate, and as far away as Russia to engage other
artists, even orphaned children from Petersburg.2005
The "State of thc Arts" address is added to the biennial Awards' programme with the
desirc to help artists and community 'earth'their love of the arts in the everyday and 'the
other'. Les Pulman and Lorraine Abernethy help broaden the appeal of the Awards with their
sponsorship of Humour in Art andThe Human Condition, non-acquisitive awards.2006
Friendly exhibition exchanges occur with our Brisbane and Newcastle brother and sister
artists. Another group collaboration, Gutenberg's Black Box, appears in thc Workshop Gallery2009
CPM mentors new printmakers with a CDSE grant and the new press arrives.
Finalists for the Awards Exhibition are selected from all entries for the first time.