ATHENS, GA.- Imprinting the South: Works on Paper from the Collection of Lynn Barstis Williams and Stephen J. Goldfarb will be on view at the Georgia Museum of Art through Sept 16, 2007. From etchings to relief prints, lithographs and a few serigraphs, this exhibition primarily focuses on Southern subjects from the 1920s to the 1940s with some prints from the etching revival period of the 1880s as well as some works from the contemporary era.

A former Auburn University library faculty member, Lynn Williams began collecting these images for her research. Her interest in this genre began at a print fair in Atlanta where she saw a lithograph by George Biddle. After buying a lithograph by James Routh, Cotton Farm, she interviewed the artist about his printmaking. Williams became curious to see how many other artists viewed the South, and Routh suggested artists for Williams to explore and interview. Stephen Goldfarb eventually joined her in collecting prints and interviewing the artists about their experiences.

Williams and Goldfarb have made an effort to acquire prints exposing both positive and critical views of the South. The beauty of the South is demonstrated in this exhibition through scenes of landscape, architecture, worship and entertainment, while the critical perspective focuses mainly on race. Charleston, S.C., and New Orleans, L.A., are highlighted because of the distinct architectural characteristics of both cities. Some of the artists included are Robert Gwathmey, Alfred Hutty, Elizabeth O’Neill Verner and W. R. Locke.

Williams recently finished her book, Imprinting the South: Southern Printmakers and their Images of the Region, the 1920s-1940s, published by the University of Alabama.

William U. Eiland, director of the Georgia Museum of Art, is responsible for the in-house curator duties for Imprinting the South: Works on Paper from the Collection of Lynn Barstis Williams and Stephen J. Goldfarb. The exhibition is generously sponsored by the W. Newton Morris Charitable Foundation, the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art and Jackson Spalding Public Relations.