Just around the corner from the new Covenant Health Park in downtown Knoxville is a creative space brimming with rootsy, Americana style. Housed inside Marc Nelson Denim is Pioneer House of Letterpress and Vintage. This space is part letterpress print shop, part art studio, and part Vintage Western clothing and culture collection.
At the helm of this enterprise are Julie Belcher and Phil Rudd, better known by his moniker, Cowboy Phil. Both wield serious credentials in their respective fields.
Julie Belcher
Julie Belcher is a letterpress printmaker, designer, mixed media with encaustic artist, and Owner and Creative Director of Pioneer House. She is an Appalachian-based artist with a commitment to handcrafted traditions and the creative reuse of vintage materials. With a background in architecture and graphic design, and a former Whittle Communications employee, she played a pivotal role in reviving interest in hand-set letterpress printing. More than two decades ago, she co-founded Yee-Haw Industrial Letterpress, a company that helped spark a movement of restoring old printing presses and bringing them back into functional use. Yee Haw Industrial Letterpress was a guiding light of design and culture on Gay Street for decades, and that tradition resumes at Pioneer House of Letterpress and Vintage with Julie as Creative Director.
She creates her distinctive letterpress prints using antique type and hand-carved imagery, pulling each piece by hand. Her work blends traditional paper monoprints with intricate elements such as drawing, stitching, and layers of melted beeswax. These materials come together in her mixed-media encaustic paintings. She also buys and sells curated turquoise jewelry and stylish handbags made of recycled leather.
She designs and prints distinctive posters and stationery with vintage illustrations and colloquial phrases that celebrate the Appalachian South, such as “Whoa Mule,” “Sweet Tea,” and “The Rooster may crow, but the Hen delivers the goods.” Her distinctive branding and line of posters for the Knoxville Farmers Market have become part of the Knoxville cultural landscape over the past 25 years.
Julie has spent years sharing her expertise as an educator in the fields of printmaking and arts entrepreneurship. She has mentored many interns and employees, offering guidance in both creative practice and the business side of art. Her teaching experience includes speaking engagements for organizations such as the Southern Graphics Council International (SGCI) and the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), where she also served as a board member. Julie has led workshops at respected institutions including the Penland School of Craft and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, as well as as universities, museums, and cultural centers throughout the United States. And I am fortunate for her 30 plus year friendship and creative inspiration.
Cowboy Phil
Standing 6-foot-2, Cowboy Phil is truly one of a kind. With his long white hair and easy, wide smile, he exudes a warmth that draws people in. Backed by decades of expertise in vintage Western culture, he greets visitors with genuine hospitality, inviting them to explore his carefully curated collection while sharing its rich history. It’s no wonder famous musicians seek him out to add one-of-a-kind pieces to their wardrobes.
Pioneer House offers a curated collection of vintage Western and honky-tonk apparel, handpicked for quality and style. Shoppers can find classic wool gabardine snap shirts, tailored cowboy trousers, hats, and boots — many dating from the golden eras of Western wear. Cowboy Phill’s collection is also a repository of vintage western wear formerly owned by famous country music stars. In one corner of their shop is a suit once owned by Ernest Tubb. Julie and Phil travel extensively throughout the year, connecting with Western culture fans and musicians, and selling their goods.
Cowboy Phil outfits several well-known country artists who also have a penchant for vintage Western wear and culture, such as Marty Stewart, Charlie Crockett, and Gillian Welch, and fine artist Mark Maggiori, to name a few. One of Cowboy Phil’s mentors and close friends is 92-year-old Manuel Cuevas, who is known as “The Tailor to the Stars.” Manuel’s style has dressed cultural icons like Johnny Cash, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Dwight Eisenhower, Little Richard, John Lennon, George Harrison, and James Brown. He and Cowboy Phil both believe in dressing as an individual and expressing your personal style through your clothing.
Knoxville has its own brand and style, developed by a richly creative community, and Julie Belcher and Phil Rupp are two creatives who have helped to pave the way and keep that spirit alive.
Pioneer House is always on the lookout for vintage Western wear, and only a small selection is available online. The best finds can be discovered in person at Pioneer House. For early previews and special updates on vintage Western wear, follow Cowboy Phil on his Instagram page @LonesomePinecone
Explore Julie Belcher’s fine art, jewelry, letterpress posters, cards, and stationery at Pioneer-House.com
"The rooster may crow, but the hen delivers the goods."