Why is it that certain facets of our life become bigger than life? Why do some issues eat at the core of who and what we are — and cause us to passionately focus on it — to make change? When we grasp the gravity of why “this” (whatever it maybe) is important to us, why do we tenaciously persevere to make a difference? Quite simply — “because it matters.”

Those passions, those drives, those desires to make a difference are executed differently by different people. For civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., it was spearheading peaceful civil disobedience protests. For journalist Gloria Steinem, it was portraying a Playboy bunny in the Playboy Club to later write about the sexist treatment firsthand in her book. For athleteactivist adventurer Erik Weihenmayer, it was to conquer the summit of Mount Everest and to later lead others with special challenges to live active and purposeful lives and attain new heights — including guiding six blind Tibetan teenagers up the north side of Everest.

While perhaps not as grandiose or earth-shattering, the artists featured in the “2016, A State of Mind” exhibition by members of The Boston Printmakers at the Lamont Gallery on the Phillips Exeter campus in Exeter, N.H., are making a statement nonetheless. And they are making a difference.

Traditionally, printmaking has been known as an important vehicle for social change, and this particular election year has certainly provided lavish amounts of fodder to select from. “The artwork presented in this exhibition parallels the heightened emotional state of the 2016 presidential election,” said Bob Tomolillo, secretary of The Boston Printmakers and organizer of the show along with committee members Sandra Cardillo and Christiane Corcelle, “and when the viewer absorbs the artwork and understands the printmaker’s intent, undoubtedly the effect will be powerful.”

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