: “Kokanee Salmon School,” Michael Reimer, 2026, ink and acrylic on paper. The Montco Cultural Center will host "Fish, Ink and Paper: The Art of Gyotaku by Michael Reimer” Oct. 26-Dec. 11, in the Theater Gallery. Photo by Patrick Rodgers
An exhibition exploring the Japanese art of gyotaku printmaking will soon be on display at Montgomery County Community College’s Blue Bell Campus.
The Montco Cultural Center will host “Fish, Ink and Paper: The Art of Gyotaku by Michael Reimer” Monday, Oct. 26 to Friday, Dec. 11, in the Theater Gallery in the Science Center, 1313 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422. The exhibition is free and open to all and parking is free. A free gyotaku demonstration and exhibit reception is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 10 from 5-8 p.m.
The exhibit, featuring 40 pieces on display, will showcase gyotaku, the Japanese tradition of fish printing, made by Collegeville artist Michael Reimer. It will highlight both the ingenuity of the artist and the beauty of local wildlife.
“Gyo means ‘fish’ and taku means 'rubbing' or 'impression,'” Reimer noted on his website. “The earliest known gyotaku were made in the 1860s to preserve a true record of the size and species of fish caught by Japanese anglers. It later evolved into an art form.”
MCCC Galleries Manager Patrick Rodgers noted this exhibition will spotlight Reimer’s many talents.
“Reimer catches and prepares local fish,” he said, “using traditional inking and printing techniques as well as his own methods. His work is a fusion of Japanese art and Pennsylvania ecology. Join us Nov. 10 for a live demonstration with the artist making prints from a fresh catch.”
The Theater Gallery is open Monday-Thursday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is closed Saturday and Sunday, unless there is a performance in the theater.
To arrange a guided group tour during or outside these hours, or for more information about the “Fish, Ink and Paper: The Art of Gyotaku by Michael Reimer” exhibit, please contact Galleries Manager Patrick Rodgers.