Etching in Motion: A Cross-Disciplinary Look at Exhibition Planning 

In preparation for Winslow Homer: Painter, Etcher—opening in summer 2026—the PMA developed an exhibition-specific internship to support education, research, and interpretation. With the show focused on Homer’s lesser-known etchings, curator Ramey Mize knew that involving a practicing printmaker would bring valuable insight. She reached out to Adriane Herman, Chair of the Printmaking Department at Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D), who enthusiastically recommended student artist Winslow Trainum.

Winslow joined the curatorial team in early 2024, working nine hours a week while continuing their studies at MECA&D. Their internship has touched nearly every corner of the project: conducting the first national inventory of Homer’s public etchings, contributing to an interpretive materials display, and producing sample prints that will help bring a complex artistic process to life for museum visitors.

Central to their work is a new educational video that breaks down the etching techniques Homer used—an immersive glimpse into the process that is designed to make printmaking more accessible. “Etching can be hard to grasp through text alone,” says Winslow. “But when you see the process—step by step—it becomes something you can understand, even feel.”

The video is a collaboration between Curatorial and Marketing, shaped through storyboarding sessions, creative input from the museum team, and technical guidance from Winslow. “Working with videographers and Ramey has let me experience etching through fresh eyes again,” they shared. “It’s been energizing to translate something so detail-oriented into something that feels magical to a wider audience.”

That connection extends beyond the museum. MECA&D’s printmaking studios provided both the skills and the setting that made Winslow’s role possible. “The training I received there from the faculty, techs, and my peers has directly fueled my ability to contribute meaningfully,” they said. “I hope this project also puts a spotlight on Portland’s vibrant printmaking community.”

Ultimately, the video invites visitors into the physical and poetic world of etching. “Prints can be overlooked,” Winslow notes. “But they hold layers of meaning and labor. This project is about helping people see and feel that.”

Winslow Homer: Painter, Etcher opens at the PMA on July 3, 2026.