UH Zine Week will showcase the artistic expression and independent media created by University of Houston students through zines, comic books, independently published poetry and short stories. Zines are self-published, non-commercial printed works typically produced in limited batches. UH Zine Week will feature workshops, including one in Spanish, to empower students to explore zine-making, along with an exhibition at the Blaffer Art Museum, a reading room, a Zine Swap event and a brand-new zine vending machine, aptly named Zine-O-Matic, allowing students to purchase zines year-round. The week of programming kicks off Monday, Oct. 16 and runs through Friday, Oct. 20.
“We want participants, which includes UH students, faculty and staff, to leave this event with a strengthened belief in their creative potential and a deeper appreciation for the importance of independent media and artistic community-building,” said Stephan Hillerbrand, who leads the Arts & Technology Center at UH’s Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts and is associate professor of fine arts.
“This project was conceived with the intention of breaking down silos, fostering dialogue and encouraging individuals from different programs, schools and disciplines to engage in meaningful conversations.”
Event organizers stress that zines encourage creators to think outside of the box. For example, zine content may be written, drawn, printed or collaged. A zine’s structure may be narrative, journalistic, comic-like or completely abstract. Culturally and historically, zines have served as a powerful outlet for content considered to be too niche or outside of the mainstream, in terms of more traditional/commercial forms of publication.
Hillerbrand said the highlight of the week will be the Zine Swap held in the UH Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design atrium, where over 50 participants will converge to exchange and celebrate their zines on Thursday, Oct. 19 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
For details on Zine Week programming, visit the UH School of Art event page. Zine Week is presented by the Arts & Technology Center and funded by UH’s Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.