When most people look at a T-shirt, they see just another piece of clothing. When artists Watie White and David Hansen look at a T-shirt, they see a blank canvas filled with creative possibilities.

“Printmaking is a democratizing medium. It allows you to do things that don’t have to have the same kind of baggage if you produce work in another medium,” White said. “Printmaking allows you to loosen up.”

The exhibit, “Adornment,” which opened on Jan. 10 at Creighton’s Lied Education Center for the Arts, brought together artists with the passion for printmaking.

Founded in 2005, the Omaha Printmakers’ Guild sponsored the event. It is currently housed in the Hot Shops Art Center in Omaha. Guild members Eddith Buis, Amy Haney and Watie White christened the collection of “Adornment,” which literally means embellishment because it had many different forms of printmaking.

“We had a little discussion one afternoon and figured out who we wanted to contact and reach out to as far as printmakers in the local area and decided on the theme of “Adornment” because of the range you could get with that,” Haney said.

Each artist utilized different interpretations and techniques in his or her piece. Haney used a woodblock matrix and silver bands to construct rings that serve as the print molds for the designs titled “Celtic” and “Flower.” Another artist, Gary Day, favored lenticular print in his pieces, producing a 3-D, holographic effect.

The creation of Buis’s pieces are particularly interesting. In “Artist Jeff,” “Nebraska Annie” and “Strictly Business,” Buis said she explored the psychology behind fashion choices and how it reflects a person’s lifestyle and personality.

The exhibit primarily features local artists, many of whom are looking to gain a foothold in the printmaking world. The Guild’s members hope that these exhibits will inspire printmakers to showcase their talent and further develop the printmaking business as an art form in the Omaha community.

“I was amazed at actually the people that ended up participating in the show,” Haney said. “It was almost as if printmakers were coming out of the woodwork, and that was really inspiring to see more printmakers in the community. It was good to inflate the little printmaking bubble.”

The Guild members said that Creighton University is a familiar name in Omaha, and the gallery’s format flatters the vast assortment of pieces.

“Not only does Creighton do the amenities, they also are great to work with,” Buis said.

White said, “I think that having [the exhibit] gives it a certain amount of cachet. It’s a recognized place so artists who are building their resumes, or artists who are not familiar with the other venues, would know this place and automatically feel it was legitimized.”

The “Adornment” exhibit will be showing at Creighton’s Lied Education Center for the Arts from 1 p.m.- 4 p.m. daily through Feb. 9.