The Dayton Printmakers Cooperative History

Originally the Dayton Printmakers Cooperative was The Dayton Art Institute Printmakers Cooperative founded in 1983 by Ray Must and Mary Campbell-Zopf. It was an out-growth of the printmaking studio classes offered through The Dayton Art Institute’s School of Art which closed in the late 1970s. When the Dayton Art Institute (DAI) undertook museum renovations in 1994, the Printmakers’ Cooperative needed to find a new home. The DAI entrusted the presses and equipment to the Dayton Visual Arts Center and the members of the cooperative searched for a new home. In 1996, the Printmakers’ Cooperative members found a new studio space located at 901 Keowee Street in Dayton, Ohio and changed the group’s name to the Dayton Printmakers Cooperative. The Dayton Printmakers Cooperative has continued to grow, supported by artist members, and in partnership with the Dayton Visual Arts Center.