The University of Mary Washington presented Lasting Legacy, a panel discussion honoring the remarkable career of revered print historian and Mary Washington alumna Wendy J. Shadwell ’63 and her contributions to the medium. Held Sept. 25 in the Hurley Convergence Center’s Digital Auditorium, the event was a precursor to the Year of the Print, a series of events and exhibitions at Mary Washington celebrating 250 years of American printmaking, spanning the 2026-27 academic year.

“Printmaking has had a profound impact on American artists and is considered one of the most democratic art forms,” said Professor of Art History Julia DeLancey, also chair of the Department of Cultural and Philosophical Inquiry, who moderated the discussion.

Multiple areas across the University, including the Departments of Cultural and Philosophical Inquiry, History and American Studies, Sociology and Studio Art, as well as UMW Galleries, Special Collections and University Archives, and Alumni Engagement are collaborating on the Year of the Print, along with the American Historical Print Collectors Society (AHPCS).

“This will also be a unique opportunity for our students to hone the research, curatorial and analytical skills they’ll use throughout their careers,” said DeLancey, referencing the many students and faculty members from across disciplines who are contributing to the exhibitions.

Shadwell earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Mary Washington and pursued graduate studies in art history at Columbia University. She became the print curator of the New York Historical Society and later served as AHPCS president. Shadwell left an enduring mark on her field before passing away in 2007. Her estate gifts to her alma mater established UMW’s Wendy Shadwell ’63 Program Endowment in Art History – funding guest speakers, workshops and conferences to benefit art history students and faculty – as well as an endowment for the English department, focused on British literature.

The panel discussion included Allison Stagg ’02, who earned a bachelor’s degree in art history at Mary Washington and is a researcher and lecturer in the Department of Architecture and Art History at the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany. Clayton Lewis, also a featured panelist, is currently president of AHPCS and curator emeritus of the University of Michigan’s William L. Clements Library.

A specialist in American caricature prints, Stagg shared how her research unexpectedly intersected with Shadwell’s legacy, as both alumnae dedicated their careers to print scholarship, while Lewis contextualized the historical significance of American printmaking. Both are collaborating on the Year of the Print, which will feature three exhibitions:

Mark and Method: Prints from the Bowman Collection, held in spring 2026, will display donations from Russell and Barbara Bowman ’69, curated by UMW art museum studies students.

USA 250: Currents in American Printmaking, held in fall 2026, will feature works by 18 contemporary American printmakers, curated by Assistant Professor of Studio Art Coorain Devin and UMW Galleries Director Tracy Stonestreet.

A campus-wide exhibition featuring works from AHPCS’s collections, held in spring 2027, will be curated by Stagg and Lewis. UMW students from art history and other departments will contribute research and a history and American studies major is conducting oral history interviews in support of the exhibition.

Next spring, the University will also host Print-A-Palooza, a public-facing celebration of printmaking, supported by a Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grant. With a rented steam roller, Devin and art students will create large-scale prints to display next year during Devil-Goat Day, marking the 100th anniversary of the uniquely UMW tradition.