When Maria Brown was little, she dreamed of owning a paper supply store. Five years ago, she realized that vision when she opened Hey June, a stationery shop and letterpress studio on Bridge Street in Richmond.
At the front of the store sits an impressive antique letterpress from 1925, which Brown uses to print small runs of stationery and invitations for locals. The process is collaborative, and Brown works closely with her clients to get the designs right. The result is not only beautiful works on paper; Brown often builds lasting connections with her customers, who become friends.
A year ago, expanding on her love of paper, Brown opened Hyperbole Books, a small indie bookstore, next door to Hey June. The two businesses share an adjoining door.
In the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger met some Hey June regulars and got to see the letterpress in action. She spoke about filming the episode.
What drew you to Hey June?
I love card shops and was also curious to learn more about letterpress printing. A coworker told me about Hey June, and it piqued my interest. One of my visits was the day before Valentine’s Day, so it was really hopping in there.
Who did you meet?
It was such a treat to interview some of the shop’s regulars, like 8-year-old Vivi Milles. She designed the window displays at both stores in honor of her birthday, which was on Groundhog Day. This was actually the second time Milles had decorated Hey June’s windows: Two years ago she offered her design services, and owner Maria Brown happily helped to realize her vision. Both displays incorporated Milles’ unique handwriting, which has changed over the years. Brown jokes that Milles will be running the store one day.
Brown seems like a lot of fun.
Brown calls herself an introvert, but you wouldn’t know it. She is incredibly outgoing and has made many connections through her time at the store. There is something intimate about a stationery store. While I was there, some customers browsed for cards and talked about the person they were shopping for and what was happening in their lives. One visitor called Brown “everyone’s best friend.”
With all that stationery, does Brown have pen pals?
I met Essex Junction resident Kelly McCutcheon Adams, who began as a customer of Hey June and became Brown’s pen pal and friend. Brown designed and printed some personalized stationery for McCutcheon Adams and was delighted to receive one of these cards in the post. Brown “shares my passion for connection through the mail,” McCutcheon Adams said.
How was it watching Brown print on the letterpress?
Very exciting! The rubber ink has an organic smell, and the rhythmic clanking of the cast iron in motion is almost musical. Brown was printing an orange sunflower on Hey June stationery that will be for sale soon. I love feeling the indentation of the design on the paper, which makes it obvious that it was not digitally printed. Like Brown, I also grew up writing letters and collecting cards. She has inspired me to pick up the habit again, and I’ll start by sending her a thank-you note. ➆
The original print version of this article was headlined “Sincerely Yours | In Richmond, Hey June letterpress studio builds a community of note”
This article appears in The Media Issue • 2026.
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