“The right creative act makes it’s own laws, and always will do.”
John Piper
Print sale & Exhibitions
“Prints are the most democratic form of art.”
– Andy Warhol
Welcome to the Oxford Printmakers Co-operative – an open access Fine Art Print workshop offering a high standard of printmaking facilities. Oxford Printmakers’ Co-operative (OPC) has been running for over 40 years as a non-profit-making organisation offering a wide range of professional printmaking facilities in a workshop in Tyndale Road, off the Cowley Road, in East Oxford.
It is one of the oldest printmaking workshops in the UK, formed in 1977 by a group of ex-Ruskin School of Art students and staff who wanted to continue their printmaking practice in a professional environment. Since then many very able and distinguished printmakers have been through its doors.
With an active membership, the workshop has flourished over the four decades with National Lottery funding in 1995 enabling facilities to be improved further. It currently provides printmaking facilities and access to state of the art presses for over 100 members. Many are professional artists who exhibit in the UK and abroad.
As well as holding regular exhibitions, the OPC workshop runs courses in many of the print processes: such as linocut & woodcut, wood engraving, etching, monoprinting, screenprinting, collagraphy and stone lithography. These courses offer anyone with an interest in printmaking the opportunity to get started or to learn more from experts in the field. OPC also offers different membership options for accessing workshop facilities and equipment, and new members are always welcome.
OPC is a non-profit organization and benefited, in 2008, from donations totalling £1,550 from the following Oxford colleges: All Souls, Christchurch, Jesus, Magdalen, Merton, St Johns, Trinity and University College. The workshop is entirely self-sufficient and currently receives no other core funding.
The workshop is run by an elected management committee who meet regularly to discuss workshop matters and make decisions. Day to day work is maintained by three part-time paid technicians, Catriona Brodribb, Lizzie Wheeler and Gabriella Bailey. They have experience in most print processes and are more than happy to advise on technical matters; they also handle general administrative matters.
All the images on this site are copyright of their respective creators. Reproduction of images is forbidden unless permission in writing has been obtained from the artist.
Courses
The workshop runs short, repeat courses in many print processes throughout the year, all of which provide a foundation for joining OPC as a Standard or Associate member.
To book a place on a course (and for further details) please ring the tutor whose number is listed with the course details. A deposit of 50% is paid to the tutor to secure a place with cheques to be made payable to the tutor. Fees cover most materials. To confirm dates and times please ring course tutors, or the workshop.
See upcoming Courses.
Membership
OPC has different membership levels to suit a range of needs. Potential new members might be asked to show a portfolio of work.
All new members must do an initial probationary 20 hours which should be completed within three months at a cost of £5.50 an hour plus materials. After this time, standard or associate membership may be taken out. After three months any uncompleted probationary hours will be charged at the hourly rate of £6.50 for non-members.
See Membership page for more full details.
This video was made from photographs taken at OPC workshop mostly during lockdown.
“Each print is a new emotional landscape.”
– Louise Bourgeois