Kindred Artist of the Week: Shannon Broder

“It doesn't matter what is going on in my life at the time, when I'm in the studio a calm falls over me and I just get absorbed in the rhythm on the process.”

Introducing our Kindred Artist of the Week series! We are big fans of all the artists we work with and we are so excited to share their stories!

This week’s featured artist is Shannon Broder, a NYC-based printmaker and teacher. We love her pet pillows and other funky fiber creations!

Who are you?

Hi! I’m Shannon Broder and I am the creator of Broderpress.

What do you do?

I am a printmaker by trade. I started printing in college and completely fell in love with it. I was always disillusioned by this idea of a two dimensional print so I started playing around with fabric and seeing how I could transform my prints into objects or things that people could interact with. I started Broderpress back in 2009 as a hobby and it has slowly grown into my main gig. I also work as a college professor. I teach printmaking at two different colleges in New York City and I love sharing my passion for the process with others. One of my favorite classes to teach is a small business class where I help undergrads pursue their creative careers.

Who/what inspires you?

I'm constantly inspired by other artists and makers it's so hard to pick just one, my top three right now would be Lisa Congdon, Sarah Golden, and Kristen Drozdowski. (KP: Kristen is the designer behind Worthwhile Paper, which you can shop here!)

What’s your favorite moment in the process?

My favorite moment in the process has to be silkscreen, it is such an magical process. There is something about it that just makes sense to me, if you follow all the steps in the process you will ultimately get this result. It's kind of like baking. Printmaking has always been there for me, and it's gotten me through so many hardships. It doesn't matter what is going on in my life at the time, when I'm in the studio a calm falls over me and I just get absorbed in the rhythm on the process.

What’s a trick of your trade, or a piece of advice for other artists in your medium?

Do something that you love. Running a small business is SUCH hard work. There are so many long hours, late nights and working on weekends. But if you are doing something that you love and something that you believe in it makes all the hard work worth it.

What’s next?

A lot has happened this past year, I quit my full time job and signed the lease on the first official Broderpress studio. I'm really looking forward to finding my rhythm so I can dive back into making new work. I've started playing around with a laser cutter so I can start printing on new materials in addition to fabric and really expand my product line.

Shop Broderpress pillows here.