Welcome to Imprint 2025, our 17th annual high school print competition and exhibition!

This online exhibition represents a juried selection of works submitted by high school students from across
Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. 

The Imprint program encourages new generations of young artists in the medium of relief printmaking. For this year’s Imprint exhibition we introduced the theme of ‘Renewal.’ For just about as long as there’s been art, renewal has been a cornerstone to the artist’s creative process. As media has changed, new generations and new experiences bring new perspectives and new voices.

Wharton Esherick, himself, once said that if anyone wanted to really know him, all they had to do was look at his work. A look back over the incredible work produced over an illustrious four decade career reveals countless examples of renewal. He changed media multiple times, having dabbled in painting, drawing, ceramics, and, of course, wood! Esherick saw new possibilities in old and seemingly worthless things. Take, for example, the infamous Hammer Handle Chair, one of about 45 total pieces made out of around 800 hammer handles he won at auction.

When Wharton Esherick was a young artist, woodcut printmaking was a critical medium in his artistic development. Through printmaking, Esherick transitioned from a young painter to an internationally recognized artist and furniture designer. You can see Esherick’s prints in our collection and in the collections of other institutions, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art. To see a new print from the Esherick Museum’s collection every week, follow us on Instagram and Facebook  each “Woodcut Wednesday.”

Recognizing the pivotal role that printmaking played in Esherick’s life, we are delighted to once again highlight young artists who represent the future of this powerful medium, with Imprint. We were once again astounded by the skill and creativity of the submissions and send a huge thank you to all the art teachers and students who shared their work with us!

» Attend the Imprint 2025 Virtual Reception!

Dinner Time
Madelyn Dannenfelser
Abington Senior High School

“My Linocut represents the circle of life and the renewal that happens when an animal eats to survive. My inspiration for the piece was the way that some birds scavenge for food. The birds can still use the fish even though they’re dead and renew their own appetites to continue living. The remnants from the tide going in and out represents how our environment is experiencing renewal all the time.“

Repeating Raspberries
Kelly Johnson
Delaware County Christian School

“We talk a great deal in Art class about being sustainable artists and reducing our footprint on the Earth. We often view our artwork as a renewed process in that we utilize a lot of recycled materials (in this case, we used only recycled fabric to create our tapestries.)”

Cleansing
Nicole Robertson
Abington Senior High School

“My entire life, water has represented a place of peace. Rain has washed away a day’s grime and dirt, and the sound of the ocean has lulled me to sleep, but the most important body of water in my life was my baptismal font. This piece is inspired by the sense of renewal I felt during my baptism. I was new and reborn, and this piece conveys how during my baptism, I was renewed.”

Second Wind
Ciaran Yudiono
Julia R. Masterman

“This piece is about the importance of taking a moment to breathe again. It’s about clearing your head when things feel overwhelming. When I felt trapped in my own room, simply getting a breath of fresh air could help me reset. Renewal, for me, is letting the breeze in through the window.”

We are grateful to have had Judith Thomas, Deputy Director at Brandywine Workshop and Archives, as a guest juror for this year’s Imprint competition. Judith has a long history serving in senior leadership roles at multidiscipline arts organizations. Most recently she was chief of staff at Philadelphia Contemporary and prior to that she served as director of exhibitions at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA). In addition to having a background in nonprofit strategic planning, administration, and financial management, Judith brings to BWA extensive experience in collections, exhibitions, and mentorship program management. Projects managed include Making Community: Prints from the Brandywine Workshop and Archives, Brodsky Center at PAFA, and Paulson Fontaine Press, At One Stroke: The Prints of Helen Frankenthaler, and Stone and Metal: The Prints of Norman Lewis. Judith studied printmaking and painting at PAFA and is a graduate of University College, London University, England.