Ann Shafer
Ann Shafer is an independent curator, art historian, and a leading expert on intaglio printmaking by Stanley William Hayter and Atelier 17. Formerly Shafer was associate curator of prints, drawings, and photographs at the Baltimore Museum of Art, where she curated a variety of exhibitions and hosted myriad classes and visitors. She also organized the museum’s Baltimore Contemporary Print Fair in 2012, 2015, and 2017. In April 2022, she mounted a new, independent print fair in Baltimore, and is now organizing the Brooklyn Fine Art Print Fair, coming up April 9-12, 2026, at Powerhouse Arts. She hosts the podcast Platemark: prints and the printmaking ecosystem and writes a blog about favorite works of art (annshafer.com). Shafer has a BA from The College of Wooster and a MA from Williams College, both in art history. In addition to the BMA, Ann has held curatorial positions at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Williams College Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Art.
annshafer.com | @annshafer7
Platemark: prints and the printmaking ecosystem
Platemark: prints and the printmaking ecosystem is a podcast created by Ann Shafer that offers conversations about art history and artistic creativity, and answers the following questions. Why do fine art prints (etchings, woodcuts, lithographs, screenprints, etc.) and printmaking draw such fervent practitioners, collectors, and fans? Why are prints remembered as the original internet disseminating images and information since the mid-15th century? Why does it take a village to make, sell, study, and collect these affordable beauties. Who are all these people in the print ecosystem, anyway? And why is it the happiest corner of the art world?
Series one of Platemark looks at prints and printmaking and how they fit in in the context of museums, the market, and the print ecosystem. The very first episode on studio visits and critiques remains our most downloaded. Series two offers a history of prints and printmaking in the West. We are currently in the mid-18th century. Series three offers interviews with people who perform various roles in the print ecosystem such as artists, printers, gallerists, curators, art historians, and conservators. Listen in and find out why prints and printmaking occupy the best little corner of the art world. We’ll turn you into a fan, too.
platemarkpodcast.com | @platemark_podcast
