Tether Bread

Tether Bread is a mobile modular pretzel cart and community art project that pairs freshly baked bread with zines hot off the Xerox. Rooted in the belief that nourishment and creative expression go hand in hand, Tether brings grassroots print and pretzels to sidewalks, beaches, parks, and markets across Maine. The handcrafted cart will feature rotating one-page zines submitted by the public, alongside free collage kits inviting passerby to pause, create, and contribute. A companion website will host open calls, event listings, and longer form content anchored by a quarterly print zine. Donations in lieu of tips will sustain printing costs and ensure anyone who wants a snack can have one. Tether is an invitation to take part in a joyful, low-barrier art exchange.

Tether Bread on Instagram

Artist bios
T.C. Shepherd is a parent, arts-and-crafter, hairstylist, and longtime participant in Maine’s underground creative scenes. Raised in central Maine and walking the peninsula since 2011, their work is shaped by service jobs, DIY culture, taking the scenic route, and making something from nothing. They are the initiator of Tether Bread, a mobile pretzel cart and community art project rooted in the belief that everyone deserves access to food and art that is fun, simple, and real. Their creative practice spans collage, zines, painting, baking, hairstyling, and event-making, with a focus on low-barrier spaces and mediums. They’ve shown work in alleyways and basements, played music at house shows and small venues, led art groups in residential treatment facilities, and hosted kitchen craft sessions and haircuts with friends and kids. Their work exists outside traditional institutions and is deeply informed by lived experience and a drive to create aesthetic joy, especially in overlooked places.

Tether Bread is co-created with Leif Anderson, a quiet collector of small treasures, longtime Portland service worker, baker, writer, reader, and walker. Also raised in rural Maine, Leif brings an intuitive sense of aesthetics and infrastructure while developing pretzel recipes, building the cart, and grounding the project’s logistics in care. Together, they aim to build warmth, connection, and visibility across Maine’s working-class and creative communities.

Image caption: Collage by Tayler Shepherd, 2025 – Scale model of the Tether Bread cart ft pretzel warmer, modular fold out door for zines and collage materials, and a calendar for events.