Charleston’s Echo-Lit is a small-town business with a global reach.
written by Amy Deal
Echo-lit is a small print shop in Charleston creating educational and inspirational art using neighborhood resources. The owners—Chris Rice and Jeanne Stevenson—also focus on giving back to their fellow artists.
After 15 years designing and working together, Rice and Stevenson opened the shop two years ago and began by designing literary-themed art. They expanded to include inspirational, science, and locally themed designs, even covering tough topics like bullying and self-esteem. Because their educational designs are striking and not like anything else on the market, they caught the eye of the art designers at Marvel Entertainment, and their work can be found in the movies Spiderman and Antman.
Echo-Lit offers art design, standard printing, fine art printing, and portrait photography as well as graphic design. Each poster produced by Echo-Lit has the logo of the Forestry Stewardship Council, which indicates a printer’s commitment to responsibly sourced materials, contributions to conservation efforts, and assistance to the communities near the forests that provide the materials.
The windows at the store are decorated by the artists and come from inspirations they find in reading or re-reading books or from “aha” moments. One recent window display was based on Narnia and included a quote from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. They also publish a “Weird and Wondrous West Virginia” calendar which, for 2022, celebrates 12 attractions from every region and is illustrated in a pen and ink style by West Virginia artist Megan Dailey.
In addition to serving its clients, Echo-Lit has also committed to local artists. “We are selling art, but also nurturing our local artist community,” Stevenson says. By being of service to clients and their fellow artists, they are empowering and nurturing both for success.
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM WV LIVING’S SUMMER 2022 ISSUE
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