TO MEET · 07/29/2013
Starting the day with Artifact Uprising
At some point through our email exchange, our outing with the Artifact Uprising and vsco cam teams was dubbed “The Hike™.” It was a name the morning had affectionately acquired since it was going to be one for the books—a 5am call time to start our trek to a vantage point overlooking Denver at sunrise.
Before we met, co-owner Katie Thurmes of Artifact explained their company by saying, “Our main mission here is to inspire others to tell their stories, to leave those stories behind and leave a legacy—not just to tell it, but to live it.” Going on this morning hike would allow us to actually live the experience of being a resident of Colorado, then pass the story along. For them, these stories are captured beautifully in printed work—books suited for Instagram, calendars, and prints displayed in woodblocks.
“We try to get up for a sunrise hike or mountain bike ride once a week,” Katie explained to us, “it’s the best way to start on the right foot.” Without a doubt: battling that early morning wake up call is well worth it.
“We believe the best ideas happen outside the four corners of a desk—it’s where our best thinking happens,” she said.
Green Mountain was the outdoor escape of choice for the morning—it’s one of the go-to spots for the Artifact team. It’s located just above Denver and looks west toward the mountains.
“There’s something about watching the city wake. If you’re lucky, you’ll find yourself among herd of deer at that early hour,” Katie told us.
When we asked Katie what makes Denver and Colorado especially unique, she told us, “There’s very much a work-hard-play-hard spirit that makes up the fabric of our city’s culture and the state at large.”
“The same movers and shakers and creators and makers who put their nose to the grindstone to create beautiful things are the folks putting it aside at the end of the day and getting out there, ” Katie said, “It’s awesome.”
We won’t hesitate to say that Katie and her team at Artifact, plus the team at vsco that joined us that morning, fall into this category of movers, shakers and creators. More to come on the beautiful objects they’re creating!
Photos by Collin Hughes