C. A. Seward was a catalyst and driving force behind the prominence the city attained in print making in the early years of the 20th century. Seward was instrumental in the formation of the Prairie Print Makers and in 1928, Seward established an annual, national print exhibition. For over 60 years, the annual exhibition made Wichita an important venue for print makers throughout the North America. The exhibition is researched and guest curated by Barbara Thompson, granddaughter of C.A. Seward. The majority of the artwork derives from her distinguished collection.
Bringing together 40 artists and over 100 works from the past five decades, Under Pressure illustrates the infinite versatility and creative power of printmaking today. Charting artistic concerns from minimalism to pop and conceptual art as well as more recent art addressing race, gender, and identity, the exhibition examines the primacy of printmaking in recent American art.