The initiative to equip the Graphic arts workshop in Sicevo was started back in 2003 on the proposal of Slobodan Radojkovic, then Master of Graphic Arts employed by the Gallery. One of the premises within the building of the Sicevo Art Colony was transformed into a graphic workshop and an intaglio press was purchased.
In 2005, the Gallery of Contemporary Fine Art marks the century since the first gathering of artists the Sicevo Art Colony. Shortly thereafter, all the basic assets and the necessary material for the work were provided and thus created the conditions for the first gathering of four artists in September 2006. There are many reasons why the Gallery opted for a graphic workshop. First of all, it was noticed that there are only two similar workshops in the territory of Serbia in Smederevo (Graphic Studio of the Center for Culture) and Belgrade Center for Graphic and Visual Research “Academy”. Also, in Nis, there is a very active association of artists from the Nis Graphic Circle, which has contributed and fully supported the initiative itself. One of the important reasons is certainly the awareness that the workshop will constantly contribute to the addition of the collection of graphics within the Gallery of Contemporary Fine Arts. In addition, it has been noticed that an increasing number of artists are opting for this medium, so in addition to the old graphic techniques, they are applying new, computer technologies, and the very understanding of graphics as a medium is much more flexible and modern. So, through the work program, the Graphic arts workshop is focused primarily on the preservation of the graphic arts, but also on following the new tendencies of the graphic print today. By popularizing this widely represented medium, the Gallery has traditionally gathered significant names from the international scene of artists, but also monitored the maturation of young authors from the graphic world.
During the first three years, the workshops were held twice a year (spring-autumn) for seven days, and since 2011 it has been held only in the end of spring. the Graphic arts workshop Sicevo gained international character in 2008. So far, at the Graphic arts workshop, 83 artists from Nis, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Poland, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, USA, Mexico, Canada have created and left their works for the Gallery of Contemporary Fine Arts .
The studio is equipped with all the necessary tools for printing all types of gravure printing, and in 2019 a screen printing press was purchased, enabling artists to create in that graphic discipline as well. Contacts with currently highly engaged graphic artists from around the world have created a good reputation for the Graphic arts workshop Sicevo, as well as forging a new tradition in the field of graphic art. Their arrival, work in the studio, experiences presented and exchanged in expert talks and demonstrations of individual techniques are of great importance, as well as contacts and cooperation with similar institutions that have the same mission of popularizing graphics as the most represented art branch in the world.
It is worth mentioning the education of younger visual artists during the workshop and good cooperation with the Faculty of Arts in Nis and the Secondary Art School, which will put together their creativity and energy of in the process of growing of the graphic workshop.
Of the employees of the Gallery of Contemporary Art, the workshop was led by Slobodan Radojkovic until 2015 (when he started working at the Faculty of Arts in Nis), and has since been led by senior curator Sonja Vukasinovic.