Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair

Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair
Name	Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair
Status	Active
Genre	Art fair
Frequency	Annual
Venue	Royal Arsenal
Location	Woolwich, London
Country	United Kingdom
First	2011
Organiser	Artichoke/Independent
Patron	Royal Borough of Greenwich

Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair is an annual art fair dedicated to contemporary printmaking held in Woolwich, London. The fair showcases editions, multiples, and fine art prints by galleries, publishers, and artists, attracting curators, collectors, critics, and institutions. It sits within a network of British and international cultural events and engages with museums, universities, and funding bodies.

History

The fair was founded in 2011 amid collaborations with Royal Borough of Greenwich, Royal Arsenal, Greenwich Peninsula, Ramsgate Contemporary, Southbank Centre, and local arts organisations. Early editions featured connections with British Council, Arts Council England, Crafts Council, Serpentine Galleries, and Tate Modern, while later years saw partnerships with National Gallery, V&A, British Museum, Museum of London Docklands, and Imperial War Museum. Directors have engaged with curatorial figures associated with RIBA, Royal Society of Sculptors, Royal Academy of Arts, Hayward Gallery, and Whitechapel Gallery. Over time the fair intersected with projects involving University of the Arts London, Goldsmiths, University of London, Camberwell College of Arts, Chelsea College of Arts, and graduate programmes at Central Saint Martins.

Venue and Location

The fair is held in historic buildings of the Royal Arsenal, a former military complex on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich. The site links to wider heritage managed by English Heritage, Historic England, and local planning by Royal Borough of Greenwich. Its proximity to Woolwich Arsenal station, Woolwich Dockyard station, and the Elizabeth line and Docklands Light Railway situates the fair within London transport networks that include London Underground, Network Rail, and Transport for London. Nearby cultural sites include Greenwich Market, Old Royal Naval College, Cutty Sark, and Greenwich Park.

Organization and Management

Organisers have worked with independent curators, publishers, and dealers associated with Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams, Frieze Art Fair, and TEFAF. Operational partnerships include collaborations with Arts Council England, National Lottery, Heritage Lottery Fund, British Council, and local charities. Management teams draw on expertise linked to Institute of Contemporary Arts, Courtald Institute of Art, Art Fund, and university departments at University College London and King's College London. Security, installation, and logistics involve contractors familiar with exhibitions at Barbican Centre, Royal Opera House, and Victoria and Albert Museum.

Exhibitors and Works

Exhibitors range from commercial galleries and artist-run spaces to specialist print publishers and ateliers associated with Parker Harris Press, Tate Editions, Coracle Press, Hand + Eye Editions, and St Bride Foundation Press. Artists represented include practitioners whose work has appeared at Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Turner Prize, Venice Biennale, Documenta, and Biennale di Venezia. Collectors and institutions include acquisitions by British Museum, Tate Modern, V&A, National Portrait Gallery, and university collections at Courtauld Institute of Art and Goldsmiths. Works span etching, lithography, screenprint, woodcut, and digital printmaking with editions from ateliers comparable to PPS and publishers featured at London Art Fair.

Programs and Events

The fair programmes talks, demonstrations, and curatorial tours featuring speakers from Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert Museum, British Library, National Gallery, and academic guests from Royal College of Art, Goldsmiths, and Camberwell. Workshops and live printmaking involve master-printers and presses with histories tied to Wimbledon College of Arts, Leeds Arts University, and Scottish Printmakers. Special projects have included commissions for public art in collaboration with Royal Borough of Greenwich and offsite extensions working with Greenwich Dance, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, and community partners such as Diocese of Southwark initiatives.

Reception and Impact

Critics and journalists from The Guardian, The Telegraph, Financial Times, The Times, and ArtReview have covered the fair, noting its role in promoting contemporary print and supporting mid-career artists linked to institutions like Royal Academy of Arts and Serpentine Galleries. Collecting activity has influenced acquisitions by regional museums including South London Gallery, Horniman Museum, Museum of London Docklands, and university collections at University of East London. The fair has been cited in discourse about urban regeneration involving Silvertown and Canary Wharf and cultural policy referenced by Mayor of London initiatives.

Access and Visitor Information

Visitors arrive via Woolwich Arsenal station, Woolwich Dockyard station, and river services on the River Thames connecting to Greenwich Pier. Accessibility services align with standards promoted by Transport for London and venue guidance from Historic England. Tickets, opening times, and programme details are provided annually through organiser communications and partner announcements from Royal Borough of Greenwich and cultural networks including Arts Council England and British Council.

Category:Art fairs in London