Washington State University’s Museum of Art announced Tuesday that it received an unprecedented gift of more than 200 fine art prints from internationally acclaimed artist Jim Dine. The gift—valued at nearly $2 million—creates the largest permanent collection of Dine prints at a university in the world.

“This is a complete career overview in printmaking by one of the most significant artists of our time, all from the artist himself,” said Chris Bruce, director for the Museum of Art/WSU. “It is unprecedented for our museum and we are breathless over the scope of this gift.”

Shipped from New York and London to WSU, the collection spans this important American artist’s 50-year career in printmaking. It also represents a comprehensive range of printmaking techniques. More than 70 of the prints will be on public view at the Wright Exhibition Space in Seattle, Thursdays and Saturdays, June 12-July 19.

Printmaking is a collaborative effort between the artist and the printmaker to create each print as an original work of art. The art image is created in stone, metal, wood or on screens, then printed on paper. During the process, the artist is present or has definitive say over the final product. After each edition is completed, the plate or screen is destroyed, making all the pieces in the collection rare.

“Everything I do is made with my hands,” said Dine. “And for me, traditionally prints have been another way to draw. Just that. You’ve got to care about prints. You’ve got to care about woodcuts, lithographs and etchings. You can’t care about whether they sell or whether anyone feels the way you do about your images. I love printmaking so much I try not to care about anything beyond my ego.”