Woodblock prints in 8th Century Moku Hanga technique highlight June exhibit at Sharon Arts Downtown Galleries

Peterborough, NH — She has worked for more than 35 years in a variety of media including watercolor, fiber arts, bookmaking, collage, graphite, colored pencil and printmaking. But today, artist Deb DeCicco is focused on woodblock prints and returns to her origins at the Sharon Arts Center as the featured artist for the month of June.

This most recent work explores botanical subjects in woodblock prints, done in the traditional method of Moku Hanga which was brought to Japan in the 8th century by Buddhists from China and was first used to reproduce religious texts. Each individual print is made entirely by hand without the use of a press. Each color is printed from a separate, hand carved block using acid-free paper, paint, brushes and a hand-held baren. Each print is part of a numbered, signed edition.

Largely self taught, Deb entered her first SAC Annual Members Exhibition in 1988. Since then she has been a volunteer, a part-time employee in the Gallery and served for 10 years as Director of the School of Art and Craft. She was honored to be part of the design and construction of SAC’s new school building in Sharon, opening in 2001. Deb’s original handbags were accepted by the Fine Craft Shop jury in 2001 and her woodblock prints were juried into the Fine Craft Shop in 2009.

Deb DeCicco lives in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Additional information on the exhibit is available by calling 603-924-2787 and on the Web at www.sharonarts.org.

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About Sharon Arts

The mission of Sharon Arts Center, a non-profit organization, is to support and serve artists and craftspeople, to engage the community in the artistic process, and to foster the relationship between artists and the community through education, exhibitions, the promotion and sale of art and craft, as well as through special programs and events.

Sharon Arts Center offers a wide variety of art classes and programs in the school facility in Sharon, NH, and has an Artists’ Resource Center (selling art supplies), a Fine Craft Gallery, a Juried Artist Member Gallery, and an Exhibition Gallery in the Depot Square facility.

The Sharon Arts Fine Crafts Gallery is located in Depot Square in Downtown Peterborough. Store hours are: Monday – Thursday 10am to 6pm, Friday 10am to 7pm, Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sundays 11 – 4 PM, and First Fridays 10am to 8pm (first Friday of each month). The Fine Art Gallery is open year round.

Sharon Arts Center is sponsored in part by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, The Grimshaw-Gudewicz Charitable Foundation, and art lovers like you!