Bundle Participation for WEN Members

A note to all WEN members on bundle participation, and in particular, those new members that might be confused as to what and how the print exchange works:

A Bundle is a name we dubbed the mailings that take place bi-annually (January and July). A Bundle is a packet of prints, or a "non-digital" show that comes to your door. They are not intended for sale or speculation. They are meant for people to share the joy of printmaking with others who know and appreciate what went into their production. We have many levels of expertise represented. There are established professionals along with beginners. There are a few who appreciate prints, but don't practice printmaking themselves. We hope the Bundles are a means of education. We do not publicly judge or criticize the work that is contributed, though we are always open to comments, and certainly, individual contacts can be made to these artists with your more personal comments and ideas. We avoid politics...just the love of seeing ink on paper that came from an artist's hand.

Sometimes we are awed by the quality of the work. Sometimes we learn from the rawness of a "Beginner's mind" as the Zen masters call it, that hasn't been influenced by standard practices and shows the exciting marks of experimentation. "A print is the halfway point between a thing and a thought," as Fritz Eichenberg once said. To hold it close to the eye, and see the artists intimate journey of creation is no small thing. In these days of digital imaging, it is a rare and valued thing...perhaps more so than ever. We are always happy to hear of sales and contacts that result from people seeing someone's work in the Bundles, however, that is not the prime reason we exist. We know that giving away work is not exactly going to put food on the table (and certainly artists have to do so). WEN is just one place where, if you have something extra to give, with the spirit of "What goes around, comes around," you donate. We are an appreciative audience. When you do contribute to a Bundle, unless you indicate that it not be used for exhibition, you more or less are giving people the right to show it to others in educational displays. If it were to be reproduced for commercial use, permissions must be sought.

Bundle participation is not mandatory for being a member of WEN. If you paid your dues, you will receive a journal, all announcements, a welcome to come to any of our activities (such as summer workshops), exhibit in any WEN connected exhibitions and receive some prints that have been donated by members. You might not receive ALL the prints (as members only have to submit a total of 76, not enough to go around to all). Why that number? Some of these artists print by hand, slowly, and to even give away 76 of such work, is asking a lot, though some do contribute the maximum. How do you get the full array of prints? You do so by contributing at least 76 prints to a Bundle. If you do so, you are put at the head of the list when the stacks of prints are sorted into envelopes for mailing. If you never contribute (which there is no pressure to do so), you will get whatever is left over. That list is sorted by the seniority of when you joined. If you are a newcomer, obviously, you are going to be at the end of the line. But contribute, and you are at the front of the line. This keeps a healthy array of new artists coming in. If contributing every few years, you are still getting just about everything.

We do ask that the work going into a bundle is by your hand and not a photocopier. You may contribute brochures, advertisements or a prospectus. All materials are welcome as long as you feel it would be of interest and benefit to the group. We have received intaglio, lino and plank-grain woodcuts, which are welcome. Any questions, do contact us.

Click here to find a printable "Print Documentation Form" to be filled out when sending in a bundle contribution.