Poet Mayda Del Valle speaks to students about odes before she recites one of her own about chanclas, or sandals, during 826LA’s Cut & Paste workshop.
Last month, 826LA in Mar Vista had the pleasure of putting on a weeklong workshop exploring DIY and small-print media. Cut and Paste: the Art of the ‘Zine saw fourteen students work from Monday, June 15 through Friday, June 19 to create their very own ‘zines (small circulation, self-published work of original and appropriated media) of personal writings and art, which was later shared in a public reading July 10th. This workshop was made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs, and Poets & Writers, Inc. through a grant from The James Irvine Foundation.
The workshop focused on this self-publishing platform, giving students total control over their works and the creative process. Here, students could make their publications their own, ordering work, making designs, and laying words out on the page however they pleased. With such creative license, the students picked their brains for entirety of the camp on not only creating content, but on finding the most powerful ways to deliver it as well. The students rose to the task, and by the end of the camp there were fourteen fantastic works of student art, writing, and poetry to be seen.
Los Angeles-based poet Natalie Patterson led students through the creative writing and artistic processes of ‘zine-making. Joining her were local artists and writers who acted as guest teachers, demonstrating their individual approaches to artmaking to the students. Guests included illustrators Mary Peterson and Ashlyn Anstee, rapper and dancer Maceo Paisley, poet Mayda Del Valle, and standup comedian Ron G, who all came to inspire students, expose them to different opportunities working in the artistic world, and share artistic techniques to be experimented with in the ‘zines.
The workshop culminated in a release party and reading of the student work July 10 at 826LA in Mar Vista. Here, the burgeoning zinesters shared their work with the gathered audience of volunteers, guest speakers, and special guests. The young artists even answered questions about the creative process behind zines and showed off the art of the handmade publications, too.
-826LA intern Christopher Eskilson with Emilie Coulson
Want to help students thrive in workshops like these? Click here to sign up to become a volunteer at 826LA!