Happy Anniversary, Bearded Lady! [Art Preview]

Bearded Lady Printing is celebrating their seventh year in the screenprinting business with a group art show entitled simply, Friends of Bearded Lady. The show which opens on Saturday will run through March 6th and features fourteen of the studio's favorite artists. The exhibit will feature a diverse group of artists who work in a wide range of media; a departure from the space's usual display of Bearded Lady's own printing work. High-fire ceramic artist Ryan McKerley, comic artist Bill Jeffery, and Rachel Koper, an artist who was also the director of Gallery Lombardi, are all participating in the show. Judging from our experiences spending time at Bearded Lady during East Austin Studio Tour, the opening will probably be a laid back affair likely involving some local brew, snacks, and hanging out with the artists and shop dogs.

Bearded Lady was started in 2002 by JD Fanning and Josh Chalmers, who intended to design and print materials for their record label, Perverted Son Records. Three years later, Fanning and Chalmers closed the label to keep up with their growing passion for printing. The company moved in to a large studio space on the East side in 2006 and Bearded Lady holds gallery shows in the tidy lobby of their work space. In its seven year history, Bearded Lady has worked with countless bands and venues to create posters, shirts, and promotional materials. They have also collaborated with designers from Pentagram, Milkshake Media, and Austin Studios. Next time you're wolfing down a brisket sandwich during an opening act at Stubb's, check out Bearded Lady's design work on the restaurant's menu board.

This weekend's opening is also being billed as an opportunity for interested parties to come and discuss upcoming print needs with the guys at the shop, including any upcoming SXSW related jobs that might need to be produced. The shop is now offering screen services to the general public; now DIY artists can have a screen made at Bearded Lady and purchase it for their own at home printing needs. Bearded Lady is currently developing a curriculum for screenprinting workshops and classes that they plan to start soon.

Friends of Bearded Lady runs through March 6th at the Bearded Lady studio.

Follow the post after the jump for a complete list of artists participating in Friends of Bearded Lady.