The Ironbridge Fine Arts Printmaking Open 2026 brings together an outstanding collection of contemporary printmaking from artists across the UK and around the world.

Hosted within Ironbridge Fine Arts Gallery in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ironbridge, alongside this online exhibition, the Open presents a curated celebration of technical skill, creative innovation, and the enduring significance of printmaking in contemporary practice.

This year’s exhibition showcases work from both emerging and established artists working across traditional and experimental processes, reflecting the breadth and vitality of printmaking today — from finely detailed etching and mezzotint, to bold relief printing, monotype, screenprint, lithography, photogravure, and mixed media approaches.

Each work in this exhibition has been selected for its quality, originality, and contribution to contemporary printmaking practice, offering audiences the opportunity to explore, connect with, and collect original prints from an international community of artists.

Meet the Judging Panel

We are delighted to present the distinguished judges of the 2026 Ironbridge Fine Arts Printmaking Competition, bringing together artists, designers, curators, educators, and collectors with a shared passion for printmaking. This year’s panel includes Greg Davies (Comedian and Television Personality), Chloe Barnes (award-winning monotype artist and Sky Portrait Artist of the Year 2025 winner), John Cooper (designer and BBC Interior Design Masters 2025 winner), Jenny Mason-Gunning (specialist printmaker and in-house judge), Dave Gunning (master printmaker and designer of the Gunning Etching Press), and Brendyn Flynn (curator and lecturer). Their combined expertise ensures every entry is considered with care, insight, and a deep appreciation of both technical skill and creative innovation.

Discover the Artists & Techniques

This year’s exhibition includes a wide range of printmaking methods, including:

Etching, aquatint, mezzotint and drypoint – refined tonal and linear processes
Linocut and woodcut – bold relief-based expression
Monotype and monoprint – painterly and experimental approaches
Lithography and mokulito – drawn and transferred mark-making
Screenprinting – layered colour and graphic composition
Photogravure and photo-etching – bridging photographic and print processes
Collagraph, cyanotype, and experimental mixed media – texture-led innovation

Together, these works reflect the diversity, adaptability, and continued evolution of printmaking as a contemporary fine art practice.

The Exhibition

Visitors are invited to explore the full collection online, with each artwork accompanied by details about the artist, process, and inspiration behind the work.

Selected works are also exhibited physically at Ironbridge Fine Arts, Dale End Village, Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, England, TF8 7NJ, where visitors can experience the depth, texture, and material presence of printmaking in person.

The exhibition runs from 4th July 2026 to 26th September 2026. International artists are presented within the online exhibition and digital gallery displays, ensuring a fully inclusive international showcase across both physical and virtual spaces.