CHICO — The magic of etchings comes alive in the new exhibit at the Janet Turner Print Museum at Chico State.
The exhibit is the first one of the spring semester and is called “Hard Pressed: Etching Then & Now.” Etching is one of the oldest printmaking techniques in the West and has been recreated, revived and reimagined for over five centuries. The exhibition features historic and contemporary highlights from the Turner’s collection, tracing the artistic currents and controversies that have shaped the development of etching from early modern Europe to the present day, according to an informational postcard from the museum.
“I’m so excited about this show,” Curator Rachel Skokowski said on Tuesday.
The exhibit opened Jan. 23 and runs until March 16. There will be an opening reception and curator talk today at 5:30 p.m. at the museum, which is located in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts on the campus at 400 West First St.
Skokowski said there are 30 artists featured in the show, including three from Chico State. The prints range from 17th century prints to modern ones from 2021.
One of the prints is a modern interpretation of Johannes Vermeer’s famous painting “Girl with the Pearl Earring,” which Skowkoski called “a modern interpretative highlight.”
There is one etching of a pair of feet, which is a response to the homelessness crisis in California.
“It’s a powerful work and relevant to now, since we are dealing with homelessness in Chico,” Skokowski said.
There are a couple displays coinciding with a collection, which feature items showing how the etchings are made which can be touched and played with, such as a copper plate and rosin tree sap.
“This job opportunity to work with the print collection is unique in the California State University system,” said Skowkoski, who came to the Janet Turner Print Museum from the Santa Barbara Art Museum. “These pieces are worthy of any museum in San Francisco, Los Angeles or Sacramento. I hope people come to experience it.”
Passion for prints
Skokowski loves her job.
“I love getting to be around art every day; I have so much respect for the print makers,” she said.
Brandon Hernandez works as the Janet Turner collections assistant. He graduated from Chico State with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in print making last year.
“It’s a wonderful place to learn more about prints and etchings,” Hernandez said. “It’s an environment I enjoy.”
Hernandez worked as a docent for the museum while he was a student and taking printmaking classes. He worked as an assistant and then became a collections assistant at the start of 2024. Hernandez became involved with art after a teacher encouraged him and told him he had a talent with the medium.
“I like the process it takes to create a print, and learn the technique,” Hernandez said. “It’s an experimental process to turn into a unique form of self-expression.”
Hernandez helped out making labels for the exhibit. He especially likes the self-portrait artist Wayne Thiebaud made.
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Paula Busch, the museum’s board president, said she “was a student of Janet Turner’s in the early ’70s. Much has changed in the print world even since then. Inventive techniques have been pushing the boundaries. Mixed media and even three-dimensional prints have surfaced.
“This exhibit will take you through centuries of changes with one of the oldest art practices in Western culture.”
The museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and on Thursday night the museum stays open until 8 p.m. The next exhibit will feature student print making and will run from April 2 to May 11. For more information, visit csuchico.edu/turner/.
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