The signmakers that shape Bavarian Leavenworth: Gibbs Graphics celebrates 20 years

LEAVENWORTH – Gibbs Graphics, the creative force behind Leavenworth’s iconic signs and murals, celebrated 20 years of business on Oct. 3.

Over the last two decades, the business has adorned the town with its work, such as the Nutcracker Museum’s three dimensional signs and six-foot tall nutcracker replica, the Leavenworth Reindeer farm’s reindeer sculpture, and murals on the Festhalle, Icicle Village Resort, the Wood Shop and Hat Shop, and many, many more. 

“We're in the business of helping create positive first impressions on people, whether it's a sign or a mural,” said co-owner Rusty Gibbs.

Owners Rusty and Amanda Gibbs run their business out of their Leavenworth studio with just under ten employees, designing and creating signs, logos, environments, and sculptures for Leavenworth, as well as businesses and organizations across the country.

Rusty and Amanda Gibbs met in college while studying fine arts and, for practicality, graphic design. They never planned to be sign makers, but the right combination of location, timing, and community support made it a possibility. 

“I don't even think I knew of sign makers coming out of college,” said Amanda.

After traveling post-college, the couple came back to Rusty’s hometown of Leavenworth to reset. At that time, the town’s former signmaker and a Gibbs family friend Dan Tuttle was reaching retirement, and hired Rusty to help complete his remaining projects. One of his first signs was for Ducks and Drakes.

“We were living in [Rusty’s] mom's house, who was living in town at that time. He painted that in an extra closet. We made a makeshift art studio in a, what, six by eight closet…It was a good sign. [It] lasted for a long time,” said Amanda.

As sign making picked up, other community members started asking for murals. Candice Dillhoff offered Amanda Gibbs a mural project at an inn, and Bob Smith recruited them to paint the Festhalle.

“Any mural that came my way, I was like, ‘Sweet. How lucky am I?’ But I never really thought it would keep going…There's no way I can make a living doing murals for the rest of my life. Well, I was wrong,” said Amanda.

Leavenworth’s strict code that adheres buildings to the Old World Bavarian Alpine Theme proved to be a gold mine for a sign making and mural business. Gibbs Graphics educated themselves on the Design Review Board’s (DRB) permitting process and requirements, familiarizing themselves with specific fonts, colors, and shapes. They even started studying specific Bavarian style brackets to hang the signs.

“Signs really are the best merger of fine art and graphic design. You still need great layout, and you have to know text and how to influence people's vision and what they actually read esthetically. But then the town only does hand painted signs or carved signs, so it forced us to only do really cool signs,” said Amanda.

The Gibbs steadily grew their business over the next ten years. They worked out of their home and off of solar power, with revenue from each project going towards new tools and paintbrushes. By 2012, they hired their first employee, and by 2014 they moved out of their home studio and into their current shop. 

Gibbs Graphics grew exponentially when it opened up its three dimensional sign services to the rest of the country in 2017, which now makes up half of their business. Their work has been shipped all over the U.S., but one of their most memorable projects is displayed at a pub in Centerville, Tennessee.

“It was a dry town…It was the first bar in that town, and they were waiting for our sign for Skeeter’s Pub and Grub that had like a three dimensional mosquito on it.…The mayor came out and they did a ribbon cutting. The town was really excited for our sign,” said Amanda.

Twenty years in, the Gibbs Graphics team now has the opportunity to choose projects more conscientiously, asking themselves a series of questions before picking up a project, with ‘Will it be fun?’ as a top priority.

“It's been quite the journey. [I’m] definitely proud of ourselves for sticking through those early years,” said Rusty.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media