Award-winning local artist Dorothea Barrick will be holding a First Friday Artist Reception at Waldo’s & Co, located at 17 Lincoln Square in Gettysburg, on Friday, May 2nd, 2025, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Barrick’s new exhibition, “Painterly Monotypes & Etchings,” will be composed entirely of artworks in hand-pulled monotypes and etchings, highlighting the beauty and thoughtfulness of the process. Light refreshments will be provided.
Barrick has explored a broad range of artistic mediums in her professional career of more than 40 years. The choice to focus exclusively on monotypes and etchings for the upcoming exhibition is intended to showcase a painter’s approach to the printmaking technique. Monotypes are one-of-a-kind prints produced by rolling ink onto plexiglass or mylar plates, then the paper is rolled through the etching press so that the ink makes an impression on the paper.
“Having an MFA in painting influences my approach to the monotype medium,” said Barrick in anticipation of the event. “The ink surface is like a canvas where additional materials such as lace, leaves, and cicada wings may be embedded in the ink.” Barrick’s work titled “Flight of the Cicada” utilizes insect wings in creation and will be featured during this exhibition.
The exhibition will also feature Barrick’s piece “Weeping,” which was created in 2000 as a result of an Adams County Arts Council STAR grant award.
This event will also provide an opportunity for community members to learn more about the resources available to local artists at Waldo’s & Co. Waldo’s & Co is a nonprofit art co-op providing low-cost access to specialized art equipment, including an etching press, antique letterpress, silk screen frames, photography darkroom, and ceramics studio. Several of Barrick’s featured pieces were created on-site in the Waldo’s & Co studio space. The newest featured piece, titled “Dreaming,” was created at Waldo’s and implements a technique known as Chine-colle, or “Chinese glueing,” when materials are embedded in the ink.
“We love to see artists in the space with a wide variety of experience levels and unique approaches to traditional mediums,” said Chris Lauer, Creative Director at Waldo’s & Co.
Barrick’s artworks have been featured in many public and private collections, including the Brevard Museum of Arts & Science in Melbourne, FL, the Kala Institute of Printmaking in Berkeley, CA, and abroad in countries including China, Italy, and Kenya. Many of the pieces featured in this exhibition are being shown publicly for the first time, spanning the entirety of Barrick’s career.
The community is invited to attend both the exhibition and the opening, where Barrick will be in attendance and available to answer questions or engage in deeper conversations about the featured pieces with interested guests. The event is free to attend. The exhibition will be on display until Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
Waldo’s & Co is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to benefitting the Gettysburg community through the arts while advocating for local artists and providing a substance-free, creative environment.
Ms. Dorothea Barrick received a BFA and MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD. She has taught at several schools and institutions including Mt. St. Mary’s University, Hood College, Gettysburg High School, Fairfield High School and Frederick Community College.