Above: Page spread from "Lucky Dog" a single-issue zine I made using sketches from my journal, drawn while Lucky (a beagle) came to stay at Spa Roz, while her family went on vacation. (Activities included adventure walks, body massage, grooming, great food, and intelligent conversation—as well as modeling gigs.) This zine is 4.25 x 5.5 inches, so the spreads are 8.5 inches wide. It was produced using scans of my sketches and QuarkXpress on a Mac.
I have a love-love relationship with zines. Don't get me started, I actually think that they are an important part of the "American way" stretching all the way back to early broadsides. (I told you not to get me started.)
Well MCBA is having a last minute zine show and I wanted to spread the word, in hopes that some of you would consider sending in your work.
Here's what MCBA's Artistic Director Jeff Rathermell has to say about the show:
Minnesota Center for Book Arts will be hosting an exhibition of zines titled Independent Variables: Contemporary Zine Publications from June 26 to September 6, 2009 in the Open Book Lobby Gallery.
To participate in this exhibition, work must be received by 5 pm June 26. It may be dropped off at MCBA’s Shop desk or mailed (MCBA, attn: Jeff Rathermel, 1011 Washington Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 55415). Please include contact information with your submission, including an email address.
Note: Work will handled by the public and will be fastened to the wall by a cord. This may involve drilling into the publication to make a hole for fastening. Do not submit work you are not willing to have altered and handled by multiple readers. Works should weigh a pound or less.
We will do our best to exhibit all work submitted. Multiple works by a single artist are permitted. If the number of submissions is great, the number of works exhibited by a single artist will be limited.
Work will be available for pick up at the Shop desk the week following the show. Work will not be returned by mail. Items not picked up by Sept 11, 2009 will be added to the MCBA archives and used for educational purposes.
If you have questions, please email Jeff Rathermel, MCBA’s Artistic Director, at jrathermel@mnbookarts.org
Right: Cover of "Lucky Dog: The Zine!" showing a graphite drawing I made of Lucky during her stay at Spa Roz.
So if you are a zinester now's the time to get your work seen. Maybe you've been writing a zine about your art adventures, or keeping a zine about your large collection of rice recipes. Perhaps you have been publishing a regular zine about your travel around the country in a VW Van? If you made a zine out of it surely you wanted to share it with people right?
Send your copies in today! You don't have to live in the Twin Cities (if you don't pick up your work after the show your zines will become part of the MCBA archives and book artists will have an opportunity to see it again and again). So what are you waiting for?
Out of town folks, out of country folks—send in your zines. It will be great to see what you're focusing on.
I look forward to seeing the exhibit Jeff puts together!
