Rockford Art Deli

It started with a band of artists sharing the same vision: to create a local hybrid of eclectic, multi-talented imagineers from the world of print making. A decade later, this collaboration has evolved into the Midwest's tastiest design shop.

in Illinois Made, Arts & Culture, Arts
June 06, 2016

Image courtesy of Rockford Art Deli

Rockford Art Deli

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A mash-up of creativity, a collective art jam, a rust belt power pop vibe with the kick of Sriracha.

That’s the only way to describe the region’s hippest T-shirt shop that’s so much more. R.A.D. is a smorgasbord of creative flavors, featuring a stage for live performances, a backroom filled with classic arcade games, and a storefront lounge that invites families to mingle with the signature artists of “Pirate Ninja Printing” as they create T-shirt art.

Founded by Jarrod Hennis, a member of the printing posse "Fatherless," and fellow art exhibitionist, Britney Lindgren, this crowd-inspiring entrepreneurial couple has created a delicatessen of services shared among like-minded artists. In doing so, they’ve put a cultural stamp on the scene that’s uniquely Rockford.

What began as a visual rebellion remains loyal to this aesthetic, with artists sharing their talent and pulling everyone together into a cooperative art awakening. You won’t find five dollar footlongs. But you might become a follower of the “Visual Mixtape of Creative Shenagination”—the self-coined print style popularized in galleries around the world by the band of artisans who call Rockford Art Deli home. As Jarrod and Britney will tell you, it’s all about keeping an open mind and making people happy, one T-shirt at a time.

Discover more Illinois artisans at Illinois Made.