Entry No. 52 — the New Orleans file — filed under: hands-on
Heartsleeve
Heartsleeve is a purpose-driven New Orleans design and screen-printing studio founded by Bernie January Jr. and Natasha Noordhoff, where every shirt is hand-printed. When they run their intermittent four-hour screen-printing workshops, the class caps at just three people, so you get real press time pulling ink across screens onto fabric and paper. Participants build a screen and print onto multiple soft tees plus a stack of paper, learning the full design-to-print process in a working studio. Workshops run periodically rather than on a fixed schedule, so check ahead for the next session.
The story
Most screen-printing operations operate out of industrial fulfillment warehouses where machines do the heavy lifting. Bernie January Jr. and Natasha Noordhoff run Heartsleeve inside Mid-City Art Studios on an entirely different scale: every single garment is pulled by hand, every design ties directly to a local cause—like supporting the Inter-Tribal Council of Louisiana through their Bulbancha collection—and when they run workshops, they cap the room at exactly three people.
That three-person limit isn't a boutique marketing trick; it's a physical necessity inside a real, working studio. When you sign up, you aren't sitting through a demonstration or watching someone else handle the equipment. You spend four full hours building a screen, aligning registration, mixing ink, and physically dragging a squeegee across mesh to force pigment onto paper and soft cotton tees. You walk away with a stack of custom paper prints, a run of hand-printed shirts, and a solid understanding of how commercial-quality printmaking actually works.
What it's like
You'll meet Bernie and Natasha inside Mid-City Art Studios and go straight to work at the press. There's no waiting in line or taking turns behind twelve other students—with only three spots per class (ages 16+), you're hands-on with the coating troughs, exposure unit, and screen clamps for the full four hours. Expect to get ink on your clothes despite the aprons. The catch is catching a slot: workshops drop in unpredictable batches at roughly $130 per head and fill almost instantly, so you'll want to get on their mailing list rather than checking their site at random.
The move: Grab two of the three workshop spots and spend the afternoon pulling your own screen-printed shirts and posters side by side.
📍 Before you go Workshops run in periodic small batches (3 spots, 16+, ~4 hours, around $130) and sell out or pause between sessions; join their list to catch the next opening.
- 📍 Mid-City
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Mid-City Art Studios, New Orleans, LA (Mid-City)
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Holt Cemetery — Pair your studio work with a short walk down the street to New Orleans' most singular in-ground potter's field, known for its improvised, hand-built grave markers.
- The Singing Oak — Head into nearby City Park after your class to sit underneath a 125-year-old live oak strung with massive, subtle wind chimes.
- The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at NOMA — Swap the indoor printmaking focus for an outdoor walk past nearly 100 modern sculptures set among lagoons and historic oaks.
Good to know
How do I book a spot in a Heartsleeve workshop?
Workshops run periodically in small batches rather than on a regular weekly schedule. You'll need to join their email list or check their site directly to grab one of the three spots when a session opens.
What do participants actually print during the class?
You take a screen through the entire setup process and print your chosen design onto a stack of heavy paper prints plus multiple soft t-shirts that you take home.
What is the cost and age limit for the workshop?
Sessions run around $130 per person for a four-hour class, all materials included, and participants must be 16 or older.
Where is Heartsleeve located?
The studio is located inside Mid-City Art Studios in the Mid-City neighborhood of New Orleans.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · vianolavie.org · Instagram
last checked: 2026-06-23