Print Center New York’s new ground-floor space at 535 West 24th Street. Image: Argenis Apolinario.
“We knew we wanted to create an alternative art space that would investigate and illuminate the wealth of possibilities in the print medium, that would be open to the new, that would be nimble, responsive, and collaborative…”
—Anne Coffin, Founder, Print Center New York
Chartered in 1995 by Anne Coffin, Print Center New York (then known as International Print Center New York or IPCNY) opened its first exhibition space tucked away in the burgeoning arts district of West Chelsea in 2000. These were formative years for a new nonprofit, a new century, and a rapidly expanding and globalizing art world. There was a yearning for community and inclusion, and for a space focused exclusively on the accessible medium of printmaking. On West 26th Street, after nearly a decade of exploratory research and meticulous planning, the print community had its center.
Opening reception at 526 West 26th Street.
In 2005, on the organization’s 5th anniversary, the Print Center relocated to a larger gallery directly opposite the passenger elevator in the same building and continued the vital community spirit that first inspired its start. Its signature New Prints series — open-call juried exhibitions designed to democratize opportunity — continued to put new works by graduate students alongside artists like Julie Mehretu and Jasper Johns. Print Center New York also expanded its exhibitions to include artists from across the U.S. and regions around the globe. After years of visionary development, Coffin retired in 2016 and was succeeded by Judy Hecker, a print curator from The Museum of Modern Art, New York, who became the Center’s first board-appointed Director. In this next chapter, the organization built on Coffin’s core mission by deepening artists’ support, while freshly engaging with independent curators who presented critical exhibitions addressing the complex ideas and conversations of our time.
With Chelsea galleries migrating to street-level over the years, the organization decided to relocate and expand its footprint, audience, and programming in 2022, further “positioning print as a vital, responsive, and relevant medium that can disperse into the world,” Hecker said. Unveiling an updated identity as Print Center New York, the organization opened a new ground-floor space at 535 West 24th Street — planting a flag for printmaking on one of Chelsea’s premier gallery streets. As Hecker states, “artists, curators, and visitors who knew our space before were thrilled to see more flexibility and more opportunity... And a space that is transparent from the sidewalk, creating an open invitation to all who pass by.” Entrance and programs are free of charge.
This larger, more accessible and welcoming space includes the Jordan Schnitzer Gallery for exhibitions, and the multi-functional Leslie and Johanna Garfield Lobby for pop-ups like Publisher Spotlight. At the grand opening, Schnitzer remarked, ”...this place is going to change the face of works on paper and print, not only in New York but in this country and hopefully around the world.” Today, Schnitzer adds, “Print Center New York has exceeded expectations, helping to raise the profile of extraordinary artists working in this extraordinary medium, one blockbuster exhibition after another.”
The opening of Data Consciousness: Reframing Blackness in Contemporary Print at Print Center New York, September 2025. Image: Argenis Apolinario.
Since moving to 24th Street, the Center has increased its visitorship ten-fold, while organizing over 100 public programs and events, and some 300 group educational visits for people of all ages and backgrounds. The Center launched New Voices, a reimagined artist development program that built on the success of the early New Prints series. It also began presenting monographic exhibitions that reveal unexplored bodies of printmaking by artists like Nicole Eisenman, Krishna Reddy, and Marie Watt; forthcoming monographic exhibitions include Felipe Baeza and Kerry James Marshall. The Print Center’s newest exhibition, Data Consciousness: Reframing Blackness in Contemporary Print, exemplifies the bold scholarship and artistic opportunities at the organization’s core. Data Consciousness brings together work by Black contemporary artists — including a new collaborative portfolio of 30 prints — that reframes the work of sociologist, historian, and activist W.E.B. Du Bois in today’s light. The exhibition is part of the Center’s year-long celebration of its 25th anniversary and will be touring nationally.
(Left) The ten artists of Print Center New York’s 2023 New Voices exhibition. (Right) Print Center New York hosts a printing circle with artist Marie Watt in 2024. Images: Argenis Apolinario.
The opening of Data Consciousness: Reframing Blackness in Contemporary Print at Print Center New York, September 2025. Image: Argenis Apolinario.
As Print Center New York reaches its 25th anniversary and charts the future, it has shown that printmaking goes far beyond a medium: it brings people together around an artform that drives collaboration and innovation, and creates a sense of belonging, access, and purpose that’s unlike any other medium or part of the art world.
Phillips is honored to help Print Center New York celebrate this milestone anniversary by hosting this live auction of donated prints to directly benefit the future of the Center. Phillips will also be contributing a portion of its buyer’s premium to their important mission.
Print Center New York deeply thanks the artists, publishers, printers, gallerists, and individuals for donating to this special benefit auction. And we thank all of you for bidding.
Discover more from 'Property Sold to Benefit Print Center New York on its 25th Anniversary' >