West Bottoms Weekly: KCUR Spotlights Greenhouse Print Space in the Hobbs Building

A quieter week in the news, but one story stood out — a deep dive into one of the West Bottoms' most unique creative spaces.

KCUR Profiles Greenhouse Print Space

KCUR published a beautiful feature this week on Greenhouse Print Space, a 5,000-square-foot printmaking studio tucked into the basement of the Hobbs Building at 1427 W. 9th Street.

The space houses over 20 vintage printing presses and extensive collections of movable type spanning centuries. Under director Thayer Bray, who took over operations in 2025 from Calvert Guthrie (who ran the space for nearly two decades as the Kansas City Center for the Ink & Paper Arts), Greenhouse Print Space offers classes and regular Print Club meetups for both professionals and hobbyists.

The studio covers letterpress, screenprinting, monoprinting, etching, and lithography — preserving techniques that stretch back to Gutenberg while welcoming newcomers. Bray describes the work there as "a communion of labor," where artists collaborate on projects ranging from traditional fine art prints to contemporary themes.

If you're curious, the next Print Club meets Tuesday, March 17, from 6–9 p.m. It's a great way to experience a part of the West Bottoms most people never see.

KCUR: Hidden in the West Bottoms, a massive printmaking space revives centuries of tradition

First Weekend Is This Friday

A quick reminder: the March First Weekend in the West Bottoms is March 6–8. Shops and vendors will be open Friday and Saturday 9 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sunday 12–5 p.m. across the district's thirteen blocks of historic warehouses.

Visit KC: Guide to First Friday Weekends in the West Bottoms

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