By DEREK KALISH
Contributing Writer
Fresh Prints clothing has evolved from a makeshift T-shirt press located in Gibson Hall dormitory to a two station table top press in Brooklyn, the home of former Saint Rose student Tim Fealey.
Fealey’s Fresh Prints are now designed and created out of his apartment in Brooklyn on a professional press, and the change in scenery has helped to influence his work. “There’s a lot of inspiring people and artwork. There’s always something to motivate you,” Fealey said about life in Brooklyn.
During the week Fealey works for the graphic arts and design department at Converse in Manhattan where he is, “gaining massive amounts of experience, and learning a lot,” said Fealey.
Fresh Prints however remains his passion. “Converse is my 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. job. My weekend and night job is Fresh Prints,” said Fealey.
The company was formed in Gibson Hall dorm at Saint Rose in late 2007 while Fealey was a sophomore at Saint Rose making T-shirts for his friends with his hand-made set up.
Fealey said, “To call my first printing set up a press would be very generous. It was more of a jerry-rigged machine I put together using a kit I bought at some craft store. I would set it up on the floor of my dorm and print shirts one by one and hang them to dry.”
Fealey’s prints endured this process for a semester and a half until eventually he convinced his parents to invest in his artwork. They helped him purchase a much bigger professional press and soon he was hard at work.
“I took an old kitchen table, bolted down the press and basically took over my parents garage for two to three years. I would go home every weekend to print orders. Sometimes I would even go home in the middle of the week and print through the night after I finished my classes. There were more than enough all nighters to go around in that garage. I even almost got frostbite one winter trying to finish an order on time,” said Fealey.
Students and faculty alike were enlightened by Fealey’s gift for screen-printing. What I liked about Tim, was he took assignments and developed them around his own ideas and life,” said Chair of the Art Department Karene Faul.
Faul also included how she emphasizes that students can make money off their artwork, and Fealey was the first to take her advice and begin selling his prints.
“She really helped shape us all as young adults, and young artists,” said Fealey about Faul. “The whole graphic arts department is awesome,” he added.
While attending Saint Rose Fealey also participated in various extracurricular activities including Reach Out Saint Rose and the Ronald McDonald House. He also worked with the Hurricane Katrina benefit twice.
“I met a lot of really nice families and grateful people,” Fealey said about the trip.
After his junior year, Fealey received a paid internship from Converse with the help of various faculty members. “He was a terrific fit,” said former teacher Kristine Herrick.
Fealey expresses regret for not copywriting Fresh Prints initially while in college, because another company has emerged with the same name. He has been working to obtain copyright and trademark rights, but said the process is “very costly.”
Ultimately, Fealey would like to develop a full-time career out of Fresh Prints. With the help of a web developer, he created a professional website for the company that launched this May. The site features unisex clothing apparel, and artwork by Fresh Prints. Fealey is adding a “Doodle of the Day” category to the site shortly, which will offer $5 poster designs. To see more, visit: www.freshprintsclothing.com
Fealey is the originator of Fresh Prints and his dedication is evident. Although copyright issues have prevented the sole ownership of the name, his hard-working nature has already brought him recognition in the world of graphic arts and design.
Whatever success is coming to him, “he deserves it,” said Herrick.
