DECEMBER 2016 PARKER COUNTY TODAY guess her day job . “ I ’ m actually a sign artist at Trader Joe ’ s ,” she said with a giggle . “ Everything is done by hand at Trader Joe ’ s , and because I have a graphic design background , they have let me develop that skill in the store in certain areas . I work at the store in Fort Worth .”
Anyone who has visited Trader Joe ’ s has surely noticed the exuberant signage throughout . These are all created by artists like Soble . It ’ s a large part of the shopping experience — let ’ s call it ambiance — at the neighborhood grocery stores that trace their beginnings back to 1958 in the Los Angeles area and a small chain of convenience stores called “ Pronto Markets .” The name change came in 1967 , and in 2016 Trader Joe ’ s boasts some 460 stores .
Soble ’ s husband , Kevin , works at Joe ’ s as well . And their toddler , Lincoln , no doubt enjoys sampling all the cool stuff Mom and Dad cart home . They like Joe ’ s .
“ At Trader Joe ’ s it ’ s very interesting because a lot of the times people don ’ t realize all their artwork is made by hand there ,” Soble continued . “ Every shelf tag , every display , every large board , little things — everything is from an artist ’ s hand . That ’ s always been very important to them . Trader Joe ’ s is about loving food and being helpful and happy at work . And I think that they know that art makes people happy .”
Soble said in a “ cookie-cutter ” world this flair of artistic sensibility individualizes things and helps to differentiate Joe ’ s from others wanting to sell good food and cool stuff . Maybe it ’ s fun business .
“ Yeah , we don ’ t have like a sheet they send us every month saying , ‘ Hey , we need you to recreate this ,’” she said . “ It ’ s literally whatever we come up with ourselves , and what is important for our stores and our families , and the people who make the things and the people that we make it for . Every store is very , very different . It makes people happy . I have had so many times when people say , ‘ I don ’ t see you in the store much — are you new ?’ That ’ s because I ’ m not on the floor as often as other crew members , and I ’ ll say , ‘ No , I ’ m a
Trader Joe ’ s artist ,’ and they just light up and they ’ re just beaming saying , ‘ I was wondering who does all this work .’ So it ’ s interesting that people really think and care about it .”
Soble ’ s work in graphic art keeps her creative juices flowing and her mind engaged , but she would very much like the chance to go back to school for a degree in graphics art . “ My foot is in the door for contract graphic design work , but I ’ d still like to have a degree ,” she said .
Soble , born on the Llano Estacado in Lubbock , moved to Weatherford with her family just in time to complete grades 1-12 in Weatherford , ending her high school career here with the Class of 2004 . She then trucked it back to Lubbock and Texas Tech . Upon marrying , an Army man , Kevin Soble , they took up the “ nomadic ” lifestyle of military families , returning to Texas eight years later . The Sobles moved to Fort Worth four and a half years ago and today reside in Cowtown with their son Lincoln , who turns two this month .
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