Mid America Print Council Inc.

What Mid America Print Council Inc. does

Mid America Print Council Inc. (MAPC) is a member-driven, non-profit educational organization chartered in Indiana in 1990 that supports the practice and discourse of printmaking across the Mid America region and beyond. Headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, with an 11-50 person operational footprint, MAPC serves individual printmakers and artists, educational institutions and print studios, and a secondary tier of printmaking supply vendors through a hybrid membership and programming model. Its core products include an annual peer-reviewed MAPC Journal (published since 1993), a biennial conference program dating to 1994, juried members' exhibitions hosted at rotating partner institutions, a small grants program (Project and Materials Grants), and community resource directories including the Printmaking MAP(C) interactive map and a community-maintained graduate school spreadsheet.

MAPC operates on a subscription and event-fee revenue model with no proprietary technology stack — its digital footprint is limited to a WordPress-based website, Instagram, and email newsletters. Revenue streams comprise tiered membership dues (Regular $30/year, Couples $40/year, Student $15/year, Lifetime $250, Vendor Sponsor $250/year), biennial conference participation fees, sliding-scale exhibition entry fees (suggested $10 student / $20 regular), journal sales via Blurb, and online shop transactions. The organization distributes programming through direct website channels and physical touchpoints at host institution galleries, most recently partnering with Louisiana State University College of Art & Design Galleries for the 2026 PRINTELLIGENCE conference and juried exhibition.

The go-to-market motion is community-led: MAPC recruits and retains members through biennial conferences, exhibitions, the Journal, an opportunities board, and a member directory, with marketing amplified via Instagram and email newsletters. The organization holds no patents, has no parent company or subsidiaries, has not raised external funding rounds, and is governed by an elected volunteer board drawn largely from academic printmaking programs. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the organization's 30+ year operating history under a recurring biennial cadence points to a stable, small-scale nonprofit economics.

Name

Mid America Print Council Inc.

Legal name

Mid America Print Council Inc.

Website

https://midamericaprintcouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mid America Print Council is a member-driven, Indiana-chartered nonprofit founded in 1990 that supports printmakers through tiered memberships, a biennial conference, an annual journal, juried exhibitions, and small grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts & Culture Membership Organization

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Printmaking arts organization
• Artist membership association
• Printmaking education services
• Juried art exhibitions
• Printmaker community network

Headquarters

HQ city

South Bend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Primary revenue stream from annual and multi-year membership fees at various tiers (Regular, Couples, Student, Lifetime). Membership provides access to conferences, exhibitions, newsletters, opportunities board, and member directory.
2. Conference Participation: Revenue generated from biennial conferences featuring speakers, workshops, panels, shows, and exchanges. The 2026 conference is hosted by Louisiana State University.
3. Journal Publication: Revenue from The Mid America Print Council Journal published annually, with both free digital downloads and printed copies available for purchase through Blurb.
4. Shop Sales: Online shop selling memberships (including vendor sponsorships) and accepting donations. The shop offers 8 product variants including various membership tiers.
5. Exhibition Entry Fees: Sliding scale submission fees for juried members' exhibitions. The 2026 exhibition suggests student members pay $10 and regular members pay $20.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mid America Print Council (MAPC) is a member-driven, nonprofit educational organization that supports printmakers through tiered memberships, a biennial conference with workshops and panels, annual juried members' exhibitions hosted at partner institutions, an annual peer-reviewed MAPC Journal, project and materials grants, and online resource directories mapping printmaking programs and graduate schools.

Product overview

Mid America Print Council is a membership-based nonprofit arts organization that provides a platform for printmakers through its core programs: the annual MAPC Journal (publication), Juried Members' Exhibition (program), Project and Materials Grant (grant program), Printmaking MAP(C) (resource directory), Big Printmaking Grad School Spreadsheet (resource database), and MAPC Membership Program (membership service). The organization also organizes biennial conferences featuring speakers, workshops, panels, shows, and exchanges. These offerings work together to support, promote, and develop printmaking arts across the Midwest and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MAPC Membership Program Tiered annual membership program (Regular $30/year, Couples $40/year, Student $15/year, Lifetime $250, Sponsor $250/year) granting access to conferences, exhibitions, the MAPC Journal, the opportunities board, and the member directory for individual printmakers, students, couples, and sponsoring vendors.
• MAPC Journal Annual peer-reviewed publication featuring articles on contemporary and historical printmaking, works on paper, drawing, and book arts; critical theory essays; and exhibition and publication reviews, with free digital download and printed copies sold via Blurb.
• Biennial Conference Biennial multi-day in-person event featuring speakers, workshops, panels, shows, and exchanges that delivers professional development and networking for MAPC members; the 2026 edition is hosted by Louisiana State University.
• Juried Members' Exhibition Annual juried exhibition program for current MAPC members, juried by notable artists and hosted at regional partner institutions (e.g., 2026 PRINTELLIGENCE exhibition at LSU's Clark and Laura Boyce Gallery), with sliding-scale entry fees.
• Project and Materials Grant Grant program supporting MAPC members who contribute to conference programming through technical demonstrations or themed portfolios, providing $75 for portfolio materials or $150 for technical demonstration materials.
• Printmaking MAP(C) Interactive online map resource that connects, supports, and promotes the printmaking community by featuring universities, print shops, supply stores, galleries, and related organizations.
• Big Printmaking Grad School Spreadsheet Community-maintained online spreadsheet for prospective students providing information on graduate programs with printmaking interests, including funding opportunities, facilities, and application details.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and foundational.

• Louisiana State University College of Art & Design GalleriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026LSU College of Art & Design Galleries is hosting the 2026 MAPC Members' Juried Exhibition PRINTELLIGENCE at Clark and Laura Boyce Gallery. The exhibition runs September 11 – October 10, 2026 with a reception on October 9. This is a key venue partnership for the biennial exhibition program.
• Crow's Shadow Institute of the ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts is featured on MAPC's opportunities board as a partner organization seeking to hire Collaborating Printer and Lead Printer positions. This represents a collaborative relationship in supporting printmaking professionals.
• Pyramid Atlantic Art CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Pyramid Atlantic Art Center is a key partner organization frequently featured on MAPC's opportunities board. They offer residencies (Denbo Fellowship, Keyholder Residency), internships, workshops, and exhibitions that benefit MAPC members. MAPC board member Lari Gibbons has organized events and panels there.
• Southern Graphics CouncilfoundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990MAPC used the Southern Graphics Council (SGC) as a model for their by-laws and conference structure when founding the organization in 1990-1991. SGC was not having annual conferences outside of the south at that time, which motivated the creation of MAPC for the Midwest region.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SGC International: The Southern Graphics Council International is the original national printmaking membership organization and the explicit model for MAPC's founding. It runs biennial conferences, juried exhibitions, and a journal serving printmakers across the U.S. and internationally, directly competing for the same member base.
• Anchor Graphics: Anchor Graphics is a Chicago-based nonprofit printmaking center providing studio access, classes, and exhibitions. Its Midwest geography and member-driven programming make it a direct regional peer.
• Highpoint Center for Printmaking: Highpoint Center for Printmaking is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit printmaking center offering studio access, exhibitions, and educational programming. It overlaps geographically and programmatically with MAPC's Midwest membership base.
• Pyramid Atlantic Art Center: Pyramid Atlantic is a nonprofit printmaking and papermaking arts center in Hyattsville, MD offering residencies, workshops, exhibitions, and classes. It is an existing MAPC partner and serves the same printmaker constituency through overlapping programming.
• National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA): NCECA is a nonprofit professional organization that supports ceramic artists through an annual conference, exhibitions, grants, and publications. It operates an essentially identical business model to MAPC but for the ceramics discipline, making it a strong structural and operational peer.
• Tamarind Institute: Tamarind Institute at the University of New Mexico is a nonprofit lithography center offering training, residencies, and exhibitions. It serves the same printmaking constituency with a comparable educational-and-exhibition model.
• Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts: Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts is a nonprofit printmaking center on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. It is an MAPC partner organization and operates residencies and exhibitions targeting professional printmakers, making it a strong programmatic peer.

Broad incumbents

• College Art Association (CAA): CAA is the principal professional organization for visual artists, art historians, and studio faculty in the United States. It serves a broader constituency than MAPC but overlaps heavily in academic printmaking faculty and graduate students.

Others

• Mid-America Print Council Archive (visual studies): Internet Archive and similar preservation platforms host digitized MAPC Journal back-issues. They are not competitors but ecosystem participants in printmaking scholarship and dissemination.

Regional players

• Mid-America College Art Association (MACAA): MACAA is the regional affiliate of the College Art Association serving art programs in the Midwest. It shares MAPC's Midwest focus and academic-printmaker membership base but covers all visual arts disciplines rather than specializing in printmaking.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/midamericaprint
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mid-america-print-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mid America Print Council Inc.