Robynn Smith

Print Day in May - The wide angle
April 28, 2026

It is our belief that people long for connection and positivity. People rarely take the time out of their busy lives to do something positive for themselves that does not involve a transactional agreement or a financial component.

Print Day in May - In a nutshell
April 28, 2026

Print Day in May defines printmaking as transferring a mark from one surface to another. Anything from an edition of etchings to a lip print on a margarita glass.

Print Day in May - A close-up
April 28, 2026

Printmaking allows imagery to be made and distributed cheaply as multiples, which historically has served to democratize knowledge. With that proud history and the awareness of our shared global peril...

Print Day in May - A close-up

What I never expected and am continually amazed by is the way Print Day in May has reflected the global zeitgeist.  This has been expressed repeatedly in recent years. In 2020, we were poised to mount a Print Day in May exhibition at a gallery in Paris on the first weekend in May. As events were cancelled around the world due to the Covid 19 pandemic, we decided to hold the exhibition online. We welcomed full participation from all printmakers, and an esteemed jury of three artists from the US, Australia, and Cuba were selected to bestow prizes from our sponsors. The response to Print Day in May 2020 was deeply moving. Not only was there an outpouring of participation from printmakers in nearly one hundred countries, the posted testimonials revealed struggles with the isolation of the pandemic, fear, uncertainty, and loss. Our blog teamed with descriptions of Print Day in May becoming the impetus for making art again, for honoring lost friends and family, for creating a space in which to connect with others through joy in such a terrible time. 

In 2022, after the invasion of Ukraine, we created a Prints for Ukraine page on our website and encouraged Prints for Ukraine hashtags on social media.  Again, the outpouring of support and emotion was inspiring. Blue and yellow pervaded, sunflowers were everywhere. It motivated monetary donations to the cause and a deeper understanding and involvement of the issues. 

2026 brings a new focus to our world. Of course I do not know what people will work on, but I suspect there will be a greater political focus to the prints that are made. Printmaking allows imagery to be made and distributed cheaply as multiples, which historically has served to democratize knowledge. With that proud history and the awareness of our shared global peril, I suspect Print Day in May will continue to act as a mirror, reflecting our fractured and despairing society in 2026. 

Print Day in May is free and open to all. Registration is through the Print Day in May website and helps us know who and how many people are participating, and from what part of the world.

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April 28, 2026

Robynn Smith

Robynn Smith is Professor Emeritus at California’s Monterey Peninsula College, where she founded Print Day in May, an annual international celbration of printmaking, in 2007. She holds a BFA in Painting from Rhode Island School of Design and two degrees from San Jose State University: an MFA in Sculpture/Ceramics and an MA in Painting. A printmaker and mixed media painter, she has had solo exhibitions in galleries and museums from Australia to Iceland and in such American cities as Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. Her work can be found in public collections in Belgium, Canada, and the United States. Robynn travels extensively for residencies and teaching opportunities, and leads workshops at her own Blue Mouse Studios in Aptos, California.

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