Last month, PrintAustin announced that its Founding Director Cathy Savage has stepped down from her position with the organization, and artist Benjamin Muñoz has been appointed Interim Director.
PrintAustin Collective was founded in 2013 by Ms. Savage and Elvia Perrin. The pair reached out to the founders of PrintHouston seeking advice and had a group of advisors who helped set the foundation for the organization. Ms. Savage told Glasstire, “When Elvia and I first started, we figured we’d maybe do it once or twice. This org has had a life of its own and things just seem to come together which I like to refer to as PrintAustin Magic. There’s good energy here, for sure. We attract it and we give it out.”
While Ms. Savage holds an art degree and has continued to maintain an art practice, her professional career has been in the tech industry. Prior to launching PrintAustin, she was involved with Women Printmakers of Austin and spearheaded an art event called The Tesla Project. As an artist and educator, Ms. Perrin brought complementary perspectives, experiences, and networks to PrintAustin.
In its inaugural year, PrintAustin not only held its now-annual festival, but implemented its juried exhibition, The Contemporary Print, which continues to be a staple of the organization. Over the past decade, the festival has grown by developing new partnerships that have led to more opportunities for artists and the community. Ms. Savage noted, “Some things have stuck, some things were more effort than we wanted. After our print fair PrintEXPO was added, we added all kinds of bells and whistles–a print trade, bin sales, a Steamroller event, a conference during Covid, another juried exhibition called the 5×5, and then most recently a one-day print fair in September.”
When asked about her decision to step down from PrintAustin, Ms. Savage explained while she has been a champion for the organization, as she nears retirement age she is finding a need to shift her focus. She said, “I have loved every aspect of it, but when Elvia left the weight of the responsibility has been a lot. PrintAustin is mostly seasonal, during November and December — the months when we’d all like to be spending time with our families… I’d love to be able to continue pouring my energy and enthusiasm into PrintAustin but, like many artists, I have a job that brings home the bacon. I’ve had health issues plus a divorce… I’d love to continue adding to my nest egg. I’d love to get back into my studio and do some traveling. I have a relationship that requires travel, so in all honesty, my heart is right now in Kansas City.”
Ms. Savage also spoke to a larger issue that small nonprofits have, that when a founder becomes a director, they often end up managing a large share of the work, which can be a detriment to the organization. While hopeful for the future, Ms. Savage also pointed to recent issues securing funding from the City of Austin. She hopes that in the future PrintAustin grows to include the various staff positions of accounting, marketing, development, and membership, leaving leadership to focus on big-picture thinking, relationship building, and capital campaigns.
When asked about Mr. Muñoz stepping in as Interim Director, Ms. Savage explained, “Ben has been gung ho on PrintAustin since the day we met, so he has me matched in terms of passion. He’s young, he has energy, he’s very well connected, he has no fear… What’s exciting about working with Ben is that one of us will come up with an idea and the other will pepper in suggestions and the next thing you know it comes together. PrintAustin Magic. Ben has the gift of gab and calls people while I have the experience of knowing how to collect the data, schedule, and implement. We can’t have one without the other, and we are working well together!”
Mr. Muñoz is a Dallas-based multi-disciplinary artist who is perhaps best known for his print-based works. He was the Co-Founder and Founding Director of Familia Printshop. His work is held in the collections of The Amon Carter Museum of American Art, The Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art, The Blanton Museum of Art, The Mexic-Arte Museum, The National Museum of Mexican Art, as well as in various private collections.
Learn more about PrintAustin’s programming, events, and ways to support the organization via its website.