During the 2008 presidential election the Reclaim print shop printed thousands of Obama T-shirts for retail stores. That T-shirt production run helped catapult this small shop opened in 2005 into an influential community staple in Cedar Park.
The increased presence earned by Reclaim provided it with the opportunity to receive a Leeway Change Partner Grant from a local foundation that supports the arts.
The small print shop on Baltimore Avenue near 48th Street used that grant to host free printing classes for the community in 2009.
That class series three years ago taught members of the community how to silk screen, the process by which a design is printed onto a blank T-shirt. The classes were also a good resource for young artists to connect with mentors in the printing business. Those classes were such a hit with kids in the community that Reclaim still holds free sessions every week.
On Wednesday nights, Reclaim’s studio is filled with young people from the community who are interested in printing and who want to learn more about how to utilize their artistic talents.
Russel Shoatz III, a member of the team at Reclaim, said it’s an exciting thing that the kids in the community keep coming for these classes.
“Today clothing design is very, very popular and a lot of kids just want to be able to have their own brand,” Shoatz said.
Reclaim also hosts movie nights for the community and holds galleries to display the talent of all the artists who come by the shop.
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