June Wayne, Near Miss, 1996. Lithograph, India ink, ed. 10/15. 31 1/8x37 inches.

Born in 1918 Chicago, Illinois.

Near Miss depicts two halves of the fission element of the atom bomb, references to energy fields, and genetically manipulated lab mice. Wayne's art ranges from paintings to tapestries to three-dimensional works incorporating silver and gold leaf. She is well known for saving the art of professional printmaking in the U.S. by founding the Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1959.

The location of her workshop, as well as its superior quality of printing, led to its popularity. Many artists who worked there were influenced by the patterns found in Pre-Columbian folk art. Their work flourished during the Pattern and Decoration period under artists such as Joyce Kozloff.

Wayne has contributed to the women's movement through her efforts to educate women and to speak and write about sexism. She has taught seminars that were later dubbed by participants as the "Joan of Art" workshops. These were designed to help educate women artists on how to better compete with men. Graduates were required to lead seminars of their own.

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