Printing Shop New Orleans is a relatively new establishment in the French Quarter of New Orleans. But it is already making a buzz among the artists and art enthusiasts living in the area. “If you are not from New Orleans, you probably don’t know what a printing shop is,” explains Print Shop’s co-owner, Nicoletta Johnson. “It is a place where you can come to have your prints printed.” But does this type of business to have any future in the city? Or, is it just another passing trend that will soon fade away?
Print Shop is owned and operated by Nicoletta Johnson, an artist and former member of the Sisters of St. Francis. She has long been interested in the visual arts and she decided to open up her own printing shop in the French quarter after living in New Orleans for seven years. She found that there were no other, like-minded people in the city who were also interested in promoting the visual arts, so she started the Printing Shop New Orleans in hopes of bringing more attention to the local art scene. “I am an artist and I wanted my business to do something unique that would help the community and would be very accessible to the people here,” says Johnson. “Plus, printing was something I knew something about and I knew that it was a necessity because I had to keep my paintings and my photographic art prints in good condition.”
The first year that Print Shop New Orleans opened was a great success, but since then, the business has seen a steady decline. The decline is directly related to the overall state of the economy, and although Print Shop is not closing down completely, the owner says that the business may be on the verge of it. “We are definitely not dead,” she assures her clients. “We are just moving to a different location. Our new location is going to be in a very desirable part of town and we are also working with a new printer who really understands the commercial printing market in New Orleans.”
“We are constantly evolving with the times and staying ahead of the curve,” Johnson admits. “We want to always be relevant and up with the times, so our artists’ prints are still going to be unique even though they are printed on the same equipment. Our goal is still to create high quality prints that our customers are happy with, but also prints that are useful to our community. This year, for example, we have created over one hundred pages of inclusive literature and over fifty individual pieces of handcrafted art for the kids in the neighborhood,” she explains. “So even if we’re not quite as busy as we used to be, we are still creating and providing excellent services to our customers.”
In addition to keeping up with technology, Print Shop New Orleans has also worked hard to ensure that its artists are preserving the community’s visual culture. “We work closely with the Covington Gallery in the Southshore for promotional artwork,” says Johnson. ” Pieces of art include murals and bookends which are hung in storefronts and on street signs. We also have a longstanding relationship with the Museum of Louisiana, which has an extensive collection of paintings, sculptures, handcrafted woodcarvings, glassblowing, jewelry, textiles, and apparel.” The company also partners with local businesses, like The Poetry Bar and Gallery in Mardi Gras City and The Book Warehouse in Garden City, to produce custom advertising prints and to distribute to local retailers.
With the support of local businesses and the support of the City of New Orleans, Print Shop New Orleans is poised to expand its presence in this growing community. “We plan to open several locations in New Orleans in the near future, as well as a second shop in New Orleans itself,” says Johnson. “In terms of our marketing strategy, we believe that the business printing and design side of the company can only grow. We envision a time when Print Shop New Orleans will be a major force in the decorative arts of southern Louisiana.”
Print Shop New Orleans is part of a burgeoning set of companies that are springing up around New Orleans, vying for artistic and creative talent while supporting local artists and artisans. “New Orleans is a perfect place for a print shop to start, as it is vibrant, creative, and embracing of the unique,” says Johnson. “That being said, there will always be a need for larger print shops in cities with larger populations. It’s simply a matter of marketing the shop and drawing in enough business to support operations.”
It’s important to note that print shops are not all about promoting local artists and artisans. “We are also proud sponsors of many national and international artistic events, such as Jazz Festival, Mardi Gras Festival, Tulane Festival, and the annual Salon de la Musique in New Orleans,” explains Johnson. “This shows that our customers are aware that we value local artwork and culture.” As print shops continue to pop up throughout New Orleans, artists and collectors will flock to the city to support one another and the city’s artistic and cultural evolution.