History
Bath Artist Printmakers is a collective of roughly thirty artists who share a studio workshop in Bath. The group was established in 1984 (with a small grant from South West Arts), by three enterprising women artists and a bookbinder. Having studied printmaking and feeling fully competent in a range of techniques, this small group embarked on a project to find both a workshop space and other like-minded artists to share it. Space was found in Broad Street, a Rochat press was bought and the studio was soon set up and working.
At the end of 2004 we moved to premises out of the centre of Bath at Larkhall. The new studio is light and airy and, as it's situated on the ground floor, courses and workshops can be offered to a wider cross-section of the public than previously possible.
Bath Artist Printmakers (BAP) has three simple aims, to:
• Run a printmaking studio for artist printmakers
• Promote community awareness of fine art printmaking in Bath and its surrounding area
• Promote general facilities for fine art printmaking for the community.
We have a management group to oversee the running of BAP. Regular members' meetings take place throughout the year. Decisions are made following a vote by the membership. We encourage members to assist with the running and care of of the studio, as well as organising exhibitions and workshop events.
We are very proud to have as our president Rosemary Simmons, the founding editor of Printmaking Today. On leaving Chelsea School of Art Rosemary became a designer with The Curwen Press and a visiting lecturer at various art colleges. She was the co-founder of the Bradford International Print Biennale, started the Curwen Gallery and later became MD of Curwen Prints. She was also a member of Contemporary Prints, collecting prints for the Tate Gallery print collection. She has written many articles, catalogues and books on printmaking and is advisor to A & C Black’s series on printmaking. In 1990, with a grant from the Henry Moore Foundation, she started Printmaking Today. She is an Honorary Member of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers.