Pioneer House-Knoxville, TN

The last stop on my visit to Knoxville was a letterpress shop called Pioneer House. The master printer, artist, and owner, Julie Belcher, creates with an antique style inspired by southern tradition. When I first walked into the studio I noticed the hundreds of hand carved wood blocks, as well as a plethora of wood type used to create the vintage imagery. Pioneer House prints for a large client base, and Julie creates her own work which she also sells at the shop. The shop produces and sells a variety of handmade goods such as prints, posters, calendars, post cards, business cards, and greeting cards. It functions primarily as a private studio, but there is also an exhibition space for gallery shows located in the store front area. Unique to Pioneer House is the fact that the back of the shop is dedicated to printmaking and production, but the front of the shop sells vintage honky tonk style clothing, accessories, and other goods. The antique letterpress technique combined with the antique clothing compliments each other, creating a cohesive vintage shop with a cool Knoxville vibe.

http://www.pioneer-house.com