A miniature print exhibition was first proposed in 1969 and there were negotiations with USIS to bring over an American show to England. The Printmakers Council had a miniature prints exhibition at the Graffiti Gallery [AAD/2015/8/2/2/19] in 1980 but it was not until 1989 when the first British International Miniature Print exhibition was organised by the South West of England members of the Printmaker’s Council, together with Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and the Off-Centre Gallery [AAD/2015/8/2/2/45]. The Off-Centre Gallery then ran the exhibition four times with a UK-wide touring schedule, but early in 2002, due to other commitments, they began to look for another organisation to run the show.
Gracefield had been a venue for the touring exhibition and organised the 5th and 6th exhibition. The 5th exhibition had toured to 13 venues around the UK and generated over 700 sales for artists. The 6th ‘Miniprint’ exhibition organiser was Dawn Henderby. There was over a thousand entries with 250 works shown. Some artists (Michael Addison; Yoshito Arichi; Darren Bryant; Masahiro Fuduka; Paul Furneaux; Struan Hamilton; Myfanwy Johns; Ruth Maxwell; Lars Nyberg; Sumi Perera and Catherine Mary Stewart) were invited to show larger works. The selectors were Alfons Bytautas, Annis Fitzhugh, Dawn Henderby, Chris Orr and Sheila Sloss.
Prize winners were Silvana Mclean (Gracefield Arts Centre Scottish Purchase Prize); Francisco Souto (Gracefield Arts Centre International Purchase Prize ); Struan Hamilton (John Purcell Papers Purchase Prize), Barbara Jackson (TN Lawrence Materials Prize) and Lynda Hamilton (Printmaking Today Editorial Feature and Purchase Prize).
Catalogue [printed and electronic pdf], hire contract, call for entries, statistics of miniprint exhibitions between 1989 and 2000. Correspondence between Sheila Sloss and Dawn Henderby concerning judging and AAD/2015/8's offer to take over the next exhibition if Gracefield were unable to continue. There was a rival bid by Leicester printmakers but the Printmakers Council (AAD/2015/8) prevailed.
Related material: AAD/2015/8/1/1/25 Minutes 21 January 2006 – 6 November 2006 and AAD/2015/8/2/2/141 7th British International Miniature Prints Exhibition 2009-2010.