Light Work

Festivities were in the air on the plaza of 1102 South Adams Street on June 7: It was a party, after all. Under the setting sun, vendors lined the street, and a band was gearing up. All were welcome. Although it was past their usual closing hours, Heart Heavy Press had its doors open, celebrating their first anniversary and ushering in a new year. With 40 vendors, live music, snacks, and more, the birthday bash was a hit. 

Heart Heavy Press opened in 2025 and has since become a staple of Tallahassee’s art scene, offering stickers, prints, printmaking services, and beyond. “Most of the time, if you’re getting art prints made, you outsource to a big company somewhere and have to pay shipping,” says owner Bond Buwalda. “I really wanted a local option for people to come in and get good prints made.” 

Buwalda is not only the owner but also manages the shop’s social media, printing, and more. They also teach monthly workshops, hosted at Heart Heavy Press. Attendees get hands-on experience with printmaking, including linocut printmaking techniques—and I’m lucky enough to be one of them, just a few days after the anniversary party. 

Photos by Addison Delgado and Jase Jeralds

Prior to this workshop, I had no clue what linocut printmaking was. Inside the store, I take a seat at the table pre-set with a slab of linocut material and a scraper. Keeping with the summertime vibes, the print we’ll be creating together is a popsicle. Sunlight streams through the windows as Buwalda walks us through linocut techniques, like how to hold our tools and handle the sharp equipment safely. The linocut rubber is actually “battleship linoleum,” originally used for the flooring of U.S. Navy battleships. 

Our group starts with practice shapes, getting a feel for scraping out the linoleum before we move on to the real deal. We try carving around straight lines, squiggly lines, chevrons, and then, finally, circles. The room is nearly silent in concentration—aside from encouraging background music, and questions or giggles from guests—as we hone our prints. 

For those looking to skip the manual labor, Buwalda also offers linocut prints for purchase (among the other print offerings in-store). Studio hours are available for artists who want to create their own individual prints, or those who may not be able to attend workshops. Besides printmaking and linocut supplies, there’s also a button machine, paper cutter, and more that customers can use behind the store’s counter. 

“I want the store to be a little hub of creativity,” Buwalda says. “I get to see a lot of really cool art that people bring in to get printed. It’s like, ‘Yeah, show me your art. I love it. I love art.’” 

Besides being a studio and print shop, the studio is also an art gallery, featuring Buwalda and other artists’ work. 

Photos by Addison Delgado and Jase Jeralds

After finishing up our linoleum stamps one by one, we ink them up and run them through the press to stamp the image on paper. Even though each popsicle image is the same, each attendee’s print comes out so differently. With the time remaining during the workshop, we further experiment with colored inks, and by the end, we have a flavorful rainbow of popsicle prints to take home. 

Besides linocut printmaking, Buwalda teaches zine and comic zine workshops once per month. The shop also sells zines and is home to a zine library where customers can add their own, trade, and read others’ work. This library is a contributor to Tallahassee Zinefest. 

“Having a brick-and-mortar spot that centers zines and the zine culture is really valuable because zines are kind of an underground or transient thing,” Buwalda says. “A lot of times, you’ll see them at a bar or something and not see them again. Having a place where you can come and learn about zines, practice zines, and make zines is cool.” 

By the time I take my popsicle home, it’s become clear that Heart Heavy Press is a new artistic staple in Tallahassee and one that reflects the movement back to hands-on artistry.

“I just want to say that print is not dead. Print media is so important,” Buwalda says. “I think that we’re seeing a large shift back to analog, and traditional media is a part of that growth and movement. I want to be here to facilitate it.”

Heart Heavy Press is more than a store or a gallery: It’s a hub of creative expression, making its stamp one print at a time.

Heart Heavy Press is Located at 1102 South Adams Street; Open Wednesday-Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. heartheavypress.com