Campus Connection

UWL student's artwork accepted into national exhibition

Marlie Voigt has a passion for printmaking. In November, that passion will be noticed on a national level. 

After Assistant Professor of Art Zach Stensen shared a juried exhibition opportunity with UWL art students, Voigt decided to submit their work. Following a competitive jury process, two of Voigt’s prints were selected to be part of Press Forward, a national student printmaking juried exhibition. 

Melanie Yazzie, accomplished printmaker and professor at UC-Boulder, juried the exhibition.  

“It is very rewarding to know that the work and emotional energy I put into this work is so well received,” Voigt says. “Being included definitely solidified to me that I am an artist, and I can create meaningful works of art.” 

As a UWL senior studying art education and minoring in art history, Voigt currently works in intaglio, woodcut and linoleum relief print techniques.

“There is always something new to learn in printmaking, even with its processes that go back centuries,” Voigt explains. “Coming into the studio is always something I look forward to. Not just to be able to create and develop different ideas stored in my head, but to be able to connect with other artists on campus and see how my ideas can morph into something brand new that I didn’t see before.”

Voigt’s pieces selected for Press Forward were made by using a linoleum carving, three-layer reduction print technique. The prints are part of a five-piece collection representing stages of grief. Bargaining (“cinnamon and cigarettes”) and acceptance (“i see where the wind has blown”) were the two selected for the national exhibition. 

Bargaining, “cinnamon and cigarettes,” was inspired by the passing of Voigt’s Grandma Dee. Each element depicted in the print is tied to Voigt’s memories of their grandmother, from stained glass and to Russian dolls. 

“The Russian dolls were something she adored, and I see it as a generational cycle of having someone to look up to and take inspiration from, especially stories that are passed down,” Voigt says. 

Acceptance, “i see where the wind had blown,” is a loose self-portrait, referencing “The Love Potion” by Evelyn de Morgan. 

“There are many different ‘easter eggs’ I put in the piece that are ways of expressing who I am beyond the figure looking like me,” Voigt explains. “Also, it includes my dearest love and friend – my cat Beans.” 

The Press Forward national student printmaking exhibition will be Nov. 3 through Dec. 9 at BOX13 in Houston, TX.