BY SUZY STUMP for WEEKLY VOLCANO 5/30/25 |
Every time I wear my Shroom Brothers T-shirt—the one Carrie Foster designed for our collaboration last year—people constantly asked me, “Where’d you get that?” Eyes locked on the intricate white-on-black artwork that somehow managed to feel both mystical and iconic to Tacoma.
And I wasn’t alone. All 100 of the limited-edition shirts sold out in under 30 days and buyers kept reporting similar experiences. It was a fundraiser for Weekly Volcano, and we were stunned and delighted by the response. So this year, we’re doing it again—with a twist.
This time, the artwork glows under black light. It’s bright green in the daylight and lights up in the low, moody interiors of music venues, dance parties, and anywhere else the underground pulses. And it’s still Carrie Foster’s original design, which she created in collaboration with Weekly Volcano.
“This design was inspired by Angela Jossy and her Tacoma Love,” Foster explained. “She asked if we would be interested in a collab and of course, we said yes! With her guidance this image came to be. It has iconic structures and landmarks that are truly Tacoma. Which is what the Volcano is all about!”
Foster is one-half of Shroom Brothers, the locally loved art and screen-printing duo she founded with partner Bob Jewell. Their backstory is humble, charming, and pure Tacoma.
“Shroom Brothers came about after a camping trip,” she explained. “Bob wanted to somehow find a way to showcase my art. His brother, Don Jewell, is an amazing tattoo artist. At this camping trip, one of his apprentices had had some shirts printed with his art and shared them with all of us. Bob thought we could do that.”
Foster was skeptical at first. “I would have bet money it was going to fail. I had zero faith in my art.”
But Bob, ever the tinkerer, took to YouTube and taught himself screen printing. They started with a DIY You Du machine, a blow dryer, and an iron. “Our first designs did alright. When we hit on our Tacoma Octopus design, well, that was it. Tacoma loves its Giant Pacific Octopus.”
From that moment on, the Shroom Brothers booth became a regular sight at local festivals. Their work is instantly recognizable—mystical, nature-driven, and rich with Celtic influences. Carrie’s pieces are both personal and universal, grounded in her connection to the natural world.
“There is a mystical presence in nature,” she said. “We are of nature and so that mystical presence resides in us as well. It has many names. It is gentle and forceful, beautiful and frightening, unforgiving and the very wellspring of our own existence.”
The Celtic motifs reflect her heritage, but they’re also deeply functional for her as an artist. “Its twists and turns and interlacings are like meditation and act as a release valve for emotions that are, well, really big.”
While Carrie is the quieter of the two—“I’m the girl at the party hanging out with the pets”—Bob is the outgoing people person. It was his enthusiasm that helped build their early connections in the Tacoma business community.
“We attended a social meeting at the (Tacoma) Chamber of Commerce just after we started up,” she recalled. “We met several local business owners and leaders, as well as an individual working on a crafters/makers/artists website. You meet a lot of people when you vend, but this was very different.”
That networking eventually led them to the Spaceworks program. “We learned so very much about business ownership and management through that program. I like to recommend the Spaceworks program to any new business operator.”
And like most Tacoma artists, Shroom Brothers’ success didn’t happen in a vacuum. Carrie is quick to name those who helped them grow: shop owners who carried their work, local artists who offered advice, and one name that comes up more than once—Taylor Woodruff of Grit City Grindhouse/Alchemy Skateboarding. “He has been so very supportive and has connected us with a great many opportunities from the get-go.”
Despite the community support and strong sales, Carrie keeps it real when it comes to the bottom line. “I do not make a living as an artist. I do make some money. I do have to have a job that I go to. Albeit part time, but that is only because Bob has an amazing job.”
So how does she define success? “A successful artist gets paid to make their art. That is like paying the non-artist to breathe. A successful business is one that the owner/operator takes pleasure in and the customers enjoy bringing their business to. Success is one of those things that has a multitude of perspectives.”
She’s frank about the practical side of the work, too. “Creative expression, for me, is a selfish act. My personal art is what I want to do. Doing work for others, commissions, requires me to step away from that and bring the client’s vision to light with my skills.”
Still, she finds satisfaction in the challenge. “Not all artists will do commission work. I like it. I like the challenge. Even when it gets frustrating. I would like to add that I do not take on all commissions that are presented to me. Sometimes, one has to say no.”
Carrie offers advice for aspiring artists—especially those in the Pacific Northwest.
“If you are commissioned to do work and are getting paid, get some of that money up front. Trust me on that. Be open to experiment with varying ways of expressing yourself as an artist. Failure is just practice, and practice is the base of mastery.”
And above all, she emphasizes community.
“Community is huge! If it weren’t for the community members we wouldn’t be doing this at all. It is their support and joy at seeing us and our works that keep us going. Tacoma loves its artists and makers. Folks really get excited when you tell them you make stuff. They want to get in on it! Support you!”
This summer, you’ll find Shroom Brothers at Artapalooza in June, Art on the Ave in July, and Proctor Arts Fest in August. They’ll also be back at Wayzgoose next year. You can purchase their designs online at shroombrothers.com, or in person at Grit City Grindhouse and the Pacific Northwest Shop.
And if you want one of the new glow-in-the-dark shirts, don’t wait. There are only 100, and if history is any indication, they’ll be gone faster than you can say “Illuminate Tacoma with love.”
ORDER YOURS HERE: https://www.etsy.com/listing/4311572395/the-weekly-volcano-black-light-t-shirt
