Now until May 3rd, the Tomato Head art show is featuring prints from two of the founders of Knoxville’s newest creative outlet: the Striped Light.
The Striped Light is a hands on printing press founded by Bryan Baker, Sarah Shebaro, and Jason Boardman that offers rad prints and ephemera from artists as well as print making classes and workshops open to the public. The Striped Light is also Knoxville’s newest record label, with a focus on signing local artists from our city’s talented music scene. Collaborative works by Bryan Baker and Sarah Shebaro are currently on display at the Tomato Head in Market Square.
After receiving a graduate degree from the University of Tennessee, Bryan Baker began teaching adjunct classes at UT and for Yee-Haw Industrial Letterpress. He has held workshops at Penland and Arrowmont, and spent a year at Clarion University in Pennsylvania. Baker moved to New York City in 2008, where he taught at the Center for Book Arts, helped run the Arm Letterpress in Brooklyn, and worked at a commercial printshop. While in New York, Baker set up his own successful print shop, called Stukenborg Press. Having success with his press, Baker moved to Detroit where he honed in on teaching the public how make prints. Now he has brought his passion for teaching talents for print making back to Knoxville.
Sara Shebaro also received a degree from the University of Tennessee, a Masters in Fine Art in 2008. Before that, Shebaro received her BFA from the University of Iowa, spent time in Chicago, and took a non-degree assistantship position at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. In 2009, Shebora relocated to Brooklyn for an assistant professor and technician position at the Pratt Institute Printmaking department, where she spent four years building up their print studios, in particular the letterpress facilities through donations of type, presses, and equipment. By the end of her tenure, she had facilitated a fully functioning type collection. She left Brooklyn in late 2014 to join Striped Light.
Jason Boardman, founder of the Pilot Light and software engineer and systems architect for McKay Books, has also been involved as a founder of the Striped Light. Boardman has been heavily involved in Knoxville’s music scene through the Pilot Light, a Music Composition degree at UTK, and his own career as a musician. In 2010, Boardman opened Hot Horse, a record and vintage store. Now, he is driving face behind the Striped Light’s record label that recently signed Knoxville band, Daddy Don’t.
If you miss the Art Show display in the Market Square location, do not fret. You’ll be able to catch up with them at the Tomato Head located on Kingston Pike from May 5th through June 1st. The collection is a unique set of playful prints that show off the talents of both Shebaro and Baker. If you’re interested in taking classes, using the printing press, or learning more about the record label, visit www.stripedlight.com.
