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"It was a nice garage," she says with a laugh.

Ten years later, New Grounds Print Workshop & Gallery is nice indeed, a must-stop for high-quality, affordable artwork by the 40-plus print-makers who call Held's sanctuary home.

Held, an accomplished artist and print-maker, started New Grounds at her South Valley home in 1996 as a print workshop.

"I wanted to provide access to print-making equipment using nontoxic supplies," she says. "My goal was to make it as affordable as possible."

Just one or two printers at a time could work in the garage, and the demand grew. "After three years I said, `I've got to be able to offer more access,' " Held says.

But the expense of renting space, when the garage cost nothing, was prohibitive.

A year later, Held's friend Page Coleman told her she was buying a Nob Hill building complex where she planned to move her contemporary art gallery.

"She knew I was looking for something," Held says. "One day she called and said, `Regina, I have your building.' It was scary."

In 2000, Held moved New Grounds into a 3,850-square-foot space next to Coleman Contemporary Art on Central Avenue just east of Carlisle Boulevard. Her 20 artist/clients moved with her, and formed the membership foundation of New Grounds.

For annual memberships costing $175 a month, Held offers artists unlimited access to New Grounds' many printing presses, gallery space to sell their work, supplies, staff and representation. Nonmembers can rent a press by the hour.

Held offers classes in etching, monotype, collagraph, photogravure, lithography, relief and mezzotint.

The gallery offers a staggering selection of excellent prints, framed and unframed, in styles ranging from contemporary to traditional. Prices start at around $200.

"The gallery part was unexpected," Held says. "I thought, `Wow, people are coming to buy art.' "

Her member artists include the wonderful Sarah Anderson, Suzanne Marshall, Gerald Fitz-Gerald and Michael Gienger, all of whom raise print-making to the level of high art. A few years ago she added the works of artists from Europe, Japan and Mexico. "I want to bring something to Albuquerque that the city has never seen," she says.

The gallery has monthly solo shows in addition to a rotating collection hanging throughout the space. The current show of prints by Japanese master Takahiko Hayashi is a powerful expression of composition, color and texture.

Held's recent 10th anniversary party perfectly reflected her gallery's success. New Grounds was packed for hours with people staring at the walls, digging through piles of unframed prints and chatting with the energetic Held.

"Some things are a fad. You never know," she says. "It's exhilarating for me know that the need was there. This wasn't a fad. It was a true need. And I thank the community for supporting us.

"People have come; people have gone; people have passed away. But new people come in. It's inspiring to see the people here work."