TO MEET · 07/30/2013
Artifact Uprising
As you saw yesterday, we spent some time with the Artifact Uprising team for an early morning hike in Denver. “Inspired by the disappearing beauty of the tangible,” is their tagline—at the end of the day, while they are a printing company, they’re just people thinking about the stories they’re leaving behind.
“Prior to launching Artifact Uprising, we were running a successful photography business and, for all intents and purposes, we had arrived to a place we could have stayed,” Katie explained to us, “But a day came when we realized our documented lives were sitting on our phones and computers, with no true place to live on. It’s something we kept coming back to—the question of ‘what are we leaving behind?'”
They took their knowledge about photography and perfecting an image and spent the following two years experimenting—which meant trying to bake books in their ovens (which is possible, even though they weren’t entirely successful). After much prototyping, they launched with the idea that their business could be a channel to create community and inspire a creative life.
“We hope our company reflects the spirit to empower the creative in everyone,” Katie explained to us.
And we think it does! We were able to team up with vsco while in town to collect a selection of their favorite Colorado images (plus some featuring our frames). With a few design tweaks and a clicks through the Artifact Uprising site, we were set to print our Warby Parker x vsco books to commemorate our stay in Denver. These photos are also being highlighted on our Instagram account throughout the week (as seen here and here).
They also printed a handful of extra photos for us to display in wooden blocks crafted from deadfall beetle-kill pine by woodworker Corbin Clay. Using this waste material is just one example of how they’re trying to be as an environmentally friendly has possible—we should also mention, all of their photos are printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper.
“Everything we do is driven by a passion for beautiful design, an inspired community and environmental responsibility,” Katie said to sum it all up. Without a doubt, anyone that comes into contact with them will continue to feel inspired.
The Warby Parker x vsco books are on display on the Class Trip bus and at our permanent retail locations
Photos by Collin Hughes