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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The Working Proof



Sean and I are super excited to announce the launch of a project we have been working long and hard on - The Working Proof! The Working Proof is an online print gallery and shop with the mission of promoting both art and social responsibility through a series of limited-edition prints. Prints are affordable (always under $100), and each print is paired by the artist with a charity to which we will donate 15% of each sale - creating what we believe to be a product with not just aesthetic, but social value.

Prints are produced by the artist, rather than by us, giving the artist complete creative control, and allowing for a wide variety of print mediums (upcoming: screenprint, letterpress, linocut, and giclee, to name a few!). Each print is signed and numbered in a limited-edition print run that is exclusive to the Working Proof. Besides showcasing emerging artists and great artwork, the intent of the Working Proof is to promote a variety of charities and to expose them to new supporters through the appreciation of art and creativity. The Working Proof is made possible by a grant from Redeemer Presbyterian Church and their Center for Faith and Work. We are very grateful for their financial and professional support.

A new print is released once a week, on Tuesdays at 1:30 pm, EST. To receive advance notice of our weekly print release, sign up for our newsletter.

We have some great artists lined up over the next few weeks, including Yasmine Surovec, Julianna Swaney, Heather Smith Jones, Dan Funderburgh, Gretchen Wagoner, Ben Javens, and Catherine Ryan. Our first up - Samantha Hahn!


Burden, by Samantha Hahn.
15% of the gross sale of this print goes to the Kids In Need Foundation, whose mission is to ensure that every child is prepared to learn and succeed by providing free school supplies nationally to students most in need.



Burden was originally drawn in concentrated inks on thin, colored watercolor paper. The print features a woman bearing a heavy load, represented by chairs chained to her back. Chairs are really meant for resting in, yet she carries them — indicating a juxtaposition of roles. Sometimes it seems that we create our own burdens in life.

Samantha Hahn is an illustrator, surface pattern designer, crafter, blogger, and art teacher. Her studio is in Brooklyn where she lives with her husband and dog. She and her husband, Dave, are expecting their first child, Henry, any day now. Samantha earned her BFA in Illustration from Syracuse University and an MA in Art Education from Columbia University.

Read our interview with Samantha here.

9 comments:

  1. Yay yay yay! I've been looking forward to this announcement, Congratulations!!! Samantha's print is a stunner!

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  2. AWESOME!!!! So happy to be a part of this. Congrats on the launch and all your hard work. I agree with Heather, Samantha's piece is great.

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  3. wow! this is awesome! what a brilliant idea. i'm definitely going to be supporting this project by purchasing a print and i'd love to share this on my blog!

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  4. Thanks, guys! We appreciate the support and can't wait to launch the rest of beautiful prints that we've got lined up! ;)

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  5. this is amazing...the print is stunning and the idea behind The Working Proof is so great. Congratulations! I am excited for future prints.

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  6. What a great idea and I love the print. Just bought it!

    My only complaint is that with prints being released only once a week I would want to buy something I like immediately so it doesn't sell out, however I will end up paying shipping every time I buy which can add up for regular buyers.

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  7. Louis - thanks for your support and for your comment about the shipping! We hadn't thought of that and will definitely try to mull over possible solutions...

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  8. Thanks Anna.

    Currious about the platform behind this. Is Five Shelf something that you are developing yourself? I can not really find any informaiton on it and their website is blank.

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  9. Hi Louis - Fiveself is actually a platform that Sean's brother is developing for e-commerce applications - it's a pretty great platform and if you are interested in using it, feel free to get in touch with Chris at fiveself@gmail.com.

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