In a book marking the 200th anniversary of lithography, renowned French print curator Jorge de Sousa highlighted the work of only two artists representing printmaking in the 20th century: Pablo Picasso and June Wayne. In the book, he said June Wayne was “the incontestable pioneer of contemporary lithography.” In reviewing a recent Wayne exhibition, the New York Times said she “is the doyenne of American printmaking. Her fame rests on her efforts to revitalize printmaking in the United States, and on her dazzling lithographs,” and that her creations are among “the most celebrated and influential works in American printmaking.” In her more than 70 years as an artist, June Wayne has achieved legendary status in areas as diverse as printmaking, painting, tapestries, films, and television, as well as for her leadership and activism on behalf of artists. Her writings on art and cultural policy have been broadly influential, and The Tamarind Book of Lithography stands as the bible of printmakers the world over. In 1959, she established the Tamarind Lithography Workshop, which later became the Tamarind Institute at the University of New Mexico. The Tamarind’s goal was to change the ecology of the art world and bring printmaking to stand as a major art form, which it does today. In 2002, June Wayne donated artworks valued at $5.47 million to the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers, a gift intended to help ensure the vitality of printmaking and fine art lithography in America by supporting the work of the Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper. She also accepted an appointment as a visiting professor at Mason Gross, a position that brings her on campus for several weeks each semester to work with Rutgers students. Dr. George B. Stauffer, dean of the school, said that her gift bestowed on Rutgers “the mantle of creative leadership in the print world” and that her presence on campus has made New Jersey’s State University a destination for all those interested in modern printmaking and the visual arts.

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