Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Christlieb.
Hi Lauren, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I received my MFA from the University of Houston in 2017. I was originally studying photography, but after taking a printmaking class, I completely fell in love with the medium, thanks to Patrick Masterson. I ended up teaching printmaking there for about eight years, which really deepened both my practice and my connection to the community.
Eventually, I stepped away from teaching to pursue a new career selling windows and doors for Pella, with the intention of returning to teaching part-time once I got settled. But things took a pretty unexpected turn.
In February 2024, I was introduced to Jessica Snow, who was the Studio Manager at the The Printing Museum. At the time, the studio was still fully intact, it wasn’t public knowledge that it wouldn’t be reopening. She walked me through the space and proposed that we ask the board to place the equipment into a trust – so it could remain accessible to the Houston community rather than being dispersed into private collections.
It felt like a long shot, and honestly, a huge responsibility. Around that same time, my mom had been diagnosed with cancer, and I was looking for something meaningful to focus my energy on. After taking some time to think it through, I decided it was a good idea to move forward.
But before we could even formally propose anything, it all accelerated. One evening, Jessica called to say the board had been told to vacate the building by the end of the week. Suddenly, we had just days to figure out how to save the equipment. I remember asking, “Am I storing this for the board, or is this actually mine to take on?” And she said, “No, they want you to have it.”
What followed was a very intense and emotional week. The community showed up in an incredible way – people packed, moved equipment, rented trailers, donated money, and gave their time without hesitation. There was a real sense of urgency and care: this collective feeling of we have to save this. It was both heartbreaking and deeply inspiring, especially for those who had longstanding relationships with the museum.
I secured storage units and we were able to move everything out over the course of a few days. A couple of months later, we found a permanent home in Tlaquepaque Square – a space with a lot of history that once housed Insomnia Gallery! It’s surrounded by an amazing group of neighbors, including Bohemeo’s, La Rosa, and Mimo, who have all been incredibly supportive. They never hesitate to step in when we need help.
When it came time to move in, the community showed up again. This time, I was able to borrow the box truck from work, which made things much smoother, as it had a lift on the back – and we officially moved everything into the space on Memorial Day in 2024.
Since then, it’s been a process of building Red Bird Press step by step. Figuring things out as we go, growing the community, and creating a space that feels welcoming and accessible. Recently, I made the decision to leave my sales job and focus on Red Bird full-time. It’s definitely a leap, but it’s also been incredibly rewarding.
We’ve also launched a nonprofit arm, Red Bird Nest for Book Arts and Print. Before that, Red Bird Press operated under fiscal sponsorship through Fractured Atlas, but it felt like the right time to establish something of our own. While it’s still very new, our goal with Red Bird Nest is to expand access – offering more community-driven programming, lower-cost and free classes, and scholarship opportunities.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Getting Red Bird Press to where it is now has taken a huge amount of physical and logistical work – especially when it came to moving the equipment into our space. Everything is heavy, oversized, and not designed to fit through a single standard doorway. Moving presses meant coordinating people who knew how to handle them, partially disassembling machines, and relying on a lot of hands willing to lift, problem-solve, and show up. Those days were exhausting and stressful, but also really exciting. We truly would not be where we are without the support of our community, neighbors, and friends.
The financial side has been another major challenge. Running a print studio is expensive. Equipment, maintenance, materials, utilities and rent all add up quickly. A lot of this has been a crash course in planning for costs I didn’t initially anticipate and figuring out how to build something sustainable. We’re constantly working on ways to generate revenue while staying aligned with our mission, especially as we look toward offering more free and low-cost programming – with the hope that Red Bird Nest will help expand access in those areas over time.
Another learning curve has been finding the right people to be involved. Printmaking is a very specific skillset, and not everyone understands what it takes to run a space like this. It’s taken time to find people I can trust – people who not only have the technical knowledge, but who also understand and believe in what we’re building. That process has been challenging, but it’s ultimately made the studio stronger.
While it hasn’t been a completely smooth road, the challenges have shaped everything. I’m learning constantly, whether it’s problem-solving in the studio, running a business, running a non-profit or building community. There’s definitely a lot of uncertainty, but there’s also a lot of passion behind it, and that’s what’s really carried me through the growing pains.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Red Bird Press is a community print studio focused on making printmaking more accessible, while still honoring the history and craft of the medium. We offer studio access memberships, classes, workshops, and open studio opportunities in processes like letterpress, intaglio, relief, and silkscreen, with a focus of hands-on learning and building confidence through making.
I think that what sets us apart is the balance between education and access. Printmaking can often feel intimidating or exclusive, especially when equipment is hard to come by or requires specialized knowledge. At Red Bird, we try to break that down, creating a space that feels welcoming to beginners, one without ego, while still supporting more experienced artists who want to deepen their practice. It’s important to me that people feel comfortable asking questions, experimenting, and learning at their own pace.
We’re also a space built very intentionally around community, especially as an analog practice in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world, where that kind of hands-on engagement can feel harder to find. A lot of what we’ve been able to do has come directly from people showing up, sharing knowledge, and supporting one another. That carries into how we program classes, how we structure studio time, and how we think about growth. It’s not just about access to equipment, it’s also about access to a network of people who care about making, working with their hands, and preserving a craft that asks us to slow down and be present.
In terms of what we’re known for, I think it’s that combination of care and resourcefulness. We’ve built something from the ground up using equipment that was nearly lost, and we’ve done it with the help of a really dedicated community. That story is a big part of the identity of the space.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud that Red Bird feels genuine. It’s not overly polished or exclusive, it’s thoughtful, a little scrappy, and deeply rooted in the people who use it. Whether someone is coming in for their first class or returning regularly, I want them to feel like they’re part of something.
Ultimately, what I want people to know is that Red Bird Press is a place to learn, to experiment, and to connect. You don’t always need prior experience, you just need curiosity and a willingness to try.
Pricing:
- Keyholder Memberships range from $130 – $200 a month
- Workshops range from $50-$175
- Long term multi-week courses range from $275-$415
- We also offer team building experiences / private parties that start at $1200
- Print Club is free and open to the public, it’s held every first Friday of the month, 6:30-8:30!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.redbirdpresshtx.org
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/redbirdpress.htx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563663743428
- Other: https://linktr.ee/redbirdpress
