Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brennan and Julianne Ponder and Wise. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Brennan and Julianne, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
The most meaningful projects we’ve worked on are the ones where we get to print collaboratively with artists interested in participating directly with the silkscreen process. From file preparation and creating screens, to selecting ink colors and printing their images with their own hands, getting the chance to share our knowledge as well as learn from artists who work outside the field of printmaking creates an exchange of ideas that promotes experimentation and innovation. Getting to see how different artists approach the medium of silkscreen printing keeps the work feeling fresh and allows the space to feel more like a studio than a factory.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
We are Love Shack Press, an artist run silkscreen and design studio specializing in limited edition prints on paper and fabrics. We got into the silkscreen and design business after a combined two decades of printmaking experience between my partner and I at various print shops in and around the St. Louis area. In 2017 we decided to form our own silkscreen studio, with a focus on helping artists, musicians and creatives of all types get their ideas out of the studio and into the world. We work with clients to transform their existing artwork into stunning, vibrant, hand printed multiples or we create custom designs in house for their brand or business. We also offer workshops that teach participants how to make their own silkscreen prints from design to finished product, on-site live printing for schools, fundraisers, and events, custom garment tie dye, mural design and installation, as well as screen preparation and reclaiming services for artists who have the means to print at their studio or home, but lack the equipment needed to expose and clean screens. We invite clients to join us in the studio while producing their prints to observe and collaborate to whatever degree they wish, a rarity in the typically rigid and mechanistic field of screen printing. We believe we occupy a unique middle ground between print shop and art studio that makes us a perfect fit for bands, brands and businesses looking for a way to set their artwork or promotional merchandise apart from the pack.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
The best thing society can do to support artists and create a thriving arts ecosystem is to fund artists at the grassroots level. So many artists are shut out of the chance to grow and develop their work due to economic and time constraints caused by overwork and underpayment. Despite the perception many people have that money given to the arts is frivolous or doesn’t make it’s way back to the economy at large, each dollar directly given to artists through the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) generates around nine dollars in private and public funds, making it one of the highest rates of return on investment of any federal program. Similarly, the Federal Art Project enacted as part of the New Deal, which payed artists a livable stipend for producing paintings and sculptures to adorn government buildings, with no restrictions on the form or content of the work, supported the early careers of famous artists such as Jackson Pollack and Philip Guston, giving working class artists the chance to develop their aesthetic, and contributed substantially to the creation of the abstract expressionist movement and the rise of American art in the global art scene. As income inequality continues to rise, private and public funding of emerging artists is a crucial component in creating an arts ecosystem that gives a broader spectrum of cultures and identities the chance to find their voice and hone their craft.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
The primary mission of our press is to aid artists and small businesses in expanding and funding their passions by creating one of a kind prints and merchandise that represents their message and puts more eyes on their artwork or brand. For many artists like painters or sculptors, whose work takes a long time to produce and often even longer to sell, shirts and prints of their work offer a way to fund their practice in between exhibitions. For musicians, selling custom merch can help put gas in the van to get to the next show on tour. For brands and businesses, print can help build their visual identity and generate buzz for their products or services. In this way, we see fostering community support as a vital part of our goal as artists and business owners.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.loveshackpress.com
- Instagram: @love_shack_press
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoveShackPress/
Image Credits
Julianne Wise