The University of Iowa and Frogman’s Print Workshops are forming a new partnership that will result in one of the world’s largest and most well-known printmaking workshops being offered on Iowa’s campus.  

Frogman’s Print Workshops offers accessible and affordable summer sessions for emerging and established artists. The annual workshop will take place during the first two weeks of July and will draw about 150 participants who will be able to select from an array of courses taught by twelve expert faculty from across the United States. In addition to the courses, the workshop will also feature a faculty lecture series, open portfolio sessions, also known as art fairs, and more than a dozen gallery exhibitions.

Director Jeremy Menard is an Iowa graduate who earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the UI, before attending graduate school at the University of Wisconsin. Under his leadership, Frogman’s has experienced its highest enrollment and he looks forward to continuing that momentum at Iowa. 

“Frogman’s has attracted printmakers from every state in the country and as far away as China and New Zealand. They are exceptional artists, motivated and inspired to enhance their personal art practice, print education, and the greater printmaking community,” Menard explains. “Offering our intense workshops at the University of Iowa, a destination institution for printmaking, will help ensure the future of our workshop and provide an incredible experience for artists. We are thrilled about this collaboration.” 

Iowa’s Printmaking program, part of the UI School of Art and Art History, is ranked no. 6 in the country —and has enjoyed a strong reputation for nearly 50 years. A workshop like this is a key learning experience for aspiring printmakers, UI Assistant Professor and Printmaking Program Head Terry Conrad explains.  

“Print workshops, like Frogman’s, are really an opportunity to be part of the larger print community and get to know and collaborate with printmakers from all over the map,” Conrad says. “Having attended this workshop myself, I know this is an exceptional opportunity for our faculty and students to have this resource available on our campus.”  

Frogman’s was founded in 1979 and celebrated its fortieth anniversary last summer. It most recently affiliated with the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) before forming this new partnership with Iowa.  

“This partnership presents a unique experience for our students and faculty to work closely with the experts at Frogman’s Print Workshops, who for decades, have been helping emerging artists develop important skills,” School of Art and Art History Director Steve McGuire says. “This collaboration will build on Iowa’s reputation for printmaking while helping advance research and development in the field.”  

You can learn more about Iowa’s printmaking program and Frogman’s Workshops by visiting their websites. See some of the beautiful artwork produced from Frogman's in the gallery below.