Printmakers Explore the Natural World at Denver Botanic Gardens

A new art exhibit is coming to Denver Botanic Gardens! Featuring color lithographs from the University of Colorado Art Museum’s Sharkive, Process Makes Perfect: Printmakers Explore the Natural World presents prints by Don Ed Hardy, Hung Liu, Emmi Whitehorse and Red Grooms. Drawings, preparatory materials and test proofs are displayed alongside the completed artworks to reveal the behind-the-scenes process of printmaking. The exhibition, presented in conjunction with the Colorado Month of Printmaking (Mo’Print), features artwork inspired by the natural world in the Gardens’ Freyer – Newman Center from March 9 – July 28, 2024, and is included with general admission.

A lithograph is a type of print that relies on the resistant relationship between oil and water. The lithography process in this exhibition uses Mylar and light-sensitive aluminum plates that undergo a UV light exposure and chemical development process similar to the one used in photography. Each color is printed separately in a layered process. Visitors can touch sample color separation printing plates and sample Mylars to better understand the relationship between the tools and labor-intensive process.

The artists collaborated with master printer Bud Shark of Shark’s Ink in Lyons, Colorado, to produce the prints. Each print is an original artwork on paper. The works are on loan from the University of Colorado Art Museum and were purchased as part of The Sharkive.

About the Sharkive
University of Colorado’s Sharkive is a collection of more than 3,000 prints and related materials created in collaboration with Shark’s Lithography (now Shark’s Ink), owned and operated by Bud and Barbara Shark since 1976. Shark’s Ink has produced and published print works by some of the nation’s most distinguished contemporary artists. In 2018 the Sharkive was acquired by the University of Colorado’s Art Museum through a partnership with the Sharks and the Kemper Family Foundations, UMB Bank Trustee, and community support, ensuring its long-term preservation.

Related Programs
Art at the Gardens Tours 
Select dates and times
$16, $8 member, $5 student
Denver Botanic Gardens is a premier venue for art exhibitions, highlighting sculpture, botanical illustration, painting, photography, site-specific installations and more. Walk through the galleries to learn more about the work on display.

Mo’Print Open Portfolio and Sale
Saturday, March 9, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Included with general admission
Join us for a massive print sale in celebration of Mo’Print, the month of printmaking! Browse prints by students, established professionals and master printers alike, with a variety of techniques on display, including lithography, screenprints, woodcuts and more.

Sketching in the Galleries
Sundays, March 17, April 21, May 19 and June 23, 1-3 p.m.
$15, $12 member
Practice your observational skills and learn drawing techniques amongst the art in the galleries. Bring your favorite pencils or colored pencils, paper and an open mind. We will provide stools, drawing boards and guidance during your drawing session.

Everything but the Press: Alternative Printmaking
Two class series: Wednesday & Thursday, April 3 & 4, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
$225, $195 member
Printmaking is the art of transferring an image from one surface onto another surface. Explore the transfer process in very loose and experimental ways using simple tools and techniques that yield surprising results. Explore monotypes, collagraphs, gelatin prints, stencils, stamps, and even incorporate found objects to create your own prints.

Botanical Gelli® Plate Printing
Friday, April 26, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
$165, $145 member
This low-tech printmaking process using a gelatin plate is fun, intuitive and immensely satisfying. Create your own prints inspired by the natural world using affordable, accessible materials. The creative possibilities are endless!

Curator Conversations
Friday, May 17, 10-11 a.m.
$20, $10 member, $5 student
Join us for a stroll through the Freyer – Newman Center galleries with a curatorial staff member. Explore our diverse art exhibitions, which support Denver Botanic Gardens’ mission to connect people to plants, and learn about the artists, artworks and processes during an engaging, interactive experience.

Drypoint Intaglio Printmaking
Saturday, May 18, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
$135, $115 member
This form of printmaking is created by drawing with a sharp tool onto plexiglass and is one of the easiest, most accessible printmaking techniques. Create a small drypoint intaglio plate from sketches created in the gardens.

Botanicals and Pollinators in Woodcut Printing
Two class series: Friday & Saturday, June 21 & 22, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
$135, $115 member
Create your own multicolor woodcut print edition inspired by plants and their pollinators! Learn about this ancient technique and the meditative qualities of carving wood blocks while considering the overall aesthetics of the piece, including variation of line, pattern and shape.

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