On Friday, Feb. 28, Madison Enterprise Center-Common Wealth Gallery hosted its opening reception for the Midwest Print Showcase. The small exhibit, running from Feb. 26 until March 3, features prints from 18 artists across the Midwest.

The exhibit showcases a variety of printmaking techniques, including prints, cyanotypes and woodcuts, to celebrate the unique art style. In printmaking, an image is taken from a block, stone or wood and reproduced onto another surface.

While 10 of the artists are faculty or students at the University of Wisconsin, others submitted art from other areas of Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska. Bryce Dailey, the main organizer for this independent showcase, wanted to create a space for UW students to exhibit and sell their work, he said at the opening reception.

“It’s great that because a lot of the contributors are students and young artists,” Dailey said.

Dailey, a junior at UW, has shown his own printmaking pieces at shows affiliated with UW. But, the Midwest Print Showcase allows him to present his works to a larger audience while promoting the artwork of his peers.

Additionally, artists featured in the showcase were encouraged to list their pieces on display for sale. Prints and merchandise are sold at the entrance of the showcase as well, providing the artists an opportunity to earn profit and recognition from the event.

While the showcase is centered around artists from the Midwest, the art tackles subject matter that goes far beyond geography. For instance, UW student Sam Stretchberry won a “Best in House” award for their abstract, psychedelic piece, “Hard Thinker.” Other artists portrayed striking self-portraits and dissected aspects of identity.

The showcase provided an opportunity for these 18 young artists to share their passion for printmaking techniques and the complex themes captured in their work.