Spend The Best Part of Your Day at The Park City Silly Sunday Market
Don’t be thrown off by the name. This open-air craft market is on point. During our month-long stay in Park City, Utah in July, we spent at least a portion of every Sunday at the Silly Market. Taking over the streets and sidewalks of historic Main Street in downtown Park City, pop-up tents of all colors line the streets and are filled with myriad craft vendors. Live music rings through the market as florists are actively creating bouquets bursting with color and farmers are sampling fresh-picked produce.
The market typically runs every Sunday from June through September (be sure to check the website for exact dates) from 10am-5pm.
There’s so much great stuff to see, touch, taste and smell, but I kept getting drawn in by the same two booths: Rose Line Pottery for superbly-crafted ceramics that now have a prominent place in my home kitchen, and Fount Paper, a screen printing company specializing in tea towels (which my friends have all now been gifted) and other screen-printed goodies like tote bags, golf towels, t-shirts and more.
Fount Paper owner and founder Lauren Lee designs and hand screen prints items in Salt Lake City, infusing each one with “the source of all things good” (also the company motto). We caught up with Lauren to learn a little bit more about Fount Paper and why she’s so passionate about what she does.
BH: How did you get your start in screen printing?
LL: I grew up in a very creative family. Early on I was influenced by both my mom who is a graphic designer and my dad who was a photography professor at the University of Tennessee. I would show my love for art and design by regularly making hand-drawn cards for family and friends, with a dream that one day I would have my very own card shop. In college, I began pursuing this dream by earning a degree in Studio Art where I took my first screen printing course. I absolutely fell in love with screen printing, which allowed me to express my artistic side while still creating personalized gifts for the people I love. With Fount Paper, I design tea towels so that my customers can use my designs to bring something they love into the homes of their family and friends, too.
BH: Where and how do you get your inspiration?
LL: Utah itself! I moved here two years ago with my husband, and we fell in love with everything this state has to offer. Living in a place that has so many beautiful parks, mountains, and neighborhoods with rich histories has provided me with constant inspiration for designs. Every trip we have taken around Utah has been so eye-opening that inspiration is the easiest part of my job. Each of my designs is centered around my favorite things in Utah, and there is still so much to discover!
BH: What are your most favorite pieces to design and create?
LL: I love designs that allow me to combine my two passions: illustration and typography. I recently made a design of Big Cottonwood Canyon that I printed on a t-shirt that I LOVE because there are so many details [in the design] that I worked super hard on, and it is so rewarding to see people wear my designs. The Park City Silver Mining towel is also one of my favorites because it evokes a sense of the city's important heritage with the anvil and tools. I love when pieces that you decorate your home with incorporate some history of where you come from.
BH: What's the best thing about being an artist?
LL: Creating designs that I love!
BH: How long have you been participating in the Silly Market?
LL: I participated in the Park Silly Holiday Bazaar last winter and loved the atmosphere in the community of both sellers and customers. I quickly signed up for the Park Silly Summer markets and haven't looked back since.
BH: What's the most fun thing about being a vendor at the Silly Market?
LL: I love the relationships you build with the other vendors and locals alike! I have gained some of my closest friends and mentors from meeting other vendors at the Silly Market and I love seeing them every weekend. In addition, the customers at the Silly Market are an amazing combination of tourists and locals, and I have so much pride knowing my designs are loved worldwide as much as they are by the locals here in Utah.
BH: What's one thing that you want people to know about you and the art you create?
LL: Each one of my designs has a special place in my heart and tells a story about the places I love.
Learn even more about Fount Paper and Lauren Lee on the Fount Paper website. And in case you’re not able to make it to the Silly Market, you can always order Lauren’s designs on the website.
At Boutique Host, we love supporting and learning about local artists. Know someone creating something unique in your area, or are you an artist? Email gerda@boutiquehost.com to share your story (or the story of an artist you love) to possibly be featured on the Boutique Host website.