Robert "Bob" Blackburn

Robert Blackburn was introduced to the arts when he enrolled at the Harlem Community Art Center (HCAC) as a teenager in 1935. Prior to joining HCAC, he was part of a gang. Not only did the center keep him off the streets, but it also introduced him to the art of printmaking.

Drawing on the example of the HCAC, Blackburn opened the Printmaking Workshop in 1948, establishing it as an official non-profit corporation in 1971. Blackburn wanted to promote the appreciation of printmaking by elevating the production of prints to the same level of other “fine art,” such as painting and sculpture. 

At the Printmaking Workshop, Bob created an environment that accepted all cultures and backgrounds. Young artists who did not have the resources to create their own art were able to use Workshop facilities and be mentored by Blackburn and other experienced artists. 

Blackburn supported creative diversity and individuality in printmaking. Curator and Edmund Barry Gaither, Director of the Museum of of the National Center of Afro-American Artists, experienced this when he visited the workshop: “Side by side in the studio, artists—black, white, young, old, American, foreign-born—have sought to render their artistic vision in print. Bob Blackburn believes that light casts by artists illuminate us all.”