ZineFest: Bound Together
- Nolan Locke
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
By Xiaoying Hong
With atmospheric music and a bustling crowd, the Neuberger Museum greeted a wave of Purchase College creatives on the night of SubMag's annual ZineFest.
With independent student vendors on the left and clubs on the right, attendees had endless options to discover.
“Zines,” originating from the word magazines, are short, handmade booklets. ZineFest is a convention of students’ work published through magazines.
Throughout the course of a semester, SubMag, short for Submissions Magazine, collects submissions of work from students. From psychology majors to anthropology majors, students from all walks are given an opportunity to shine.
“ZineFest was a way for us to celebrate the release of SubMag’s 80th issue in a way that also uplifted the arts community at Purchase,” said Kristen Azzara, a senior graphic design major and director of SubMag.
Jason Berry, a senior visual arts major and vice president of the Purchase Student Government Association (PSGA), collaborated with SubMag. Together, they were able to host the event at the Neuberger for the first time.
“SubMag is such a great artistic outlet for so many of us on campus,” Berry said, “and I wanted to give students a chance to celebrate their own creative feats!”
On page six of SubMag’s 80th edition, a glamorous shot of junior sociology major Madison DaCosta, shot by junior photography major Michela DiStefano and edited by junior screenwriting major Puck Costa, fills the page. DaCosta described the photo as “A labor of
love between the three of us.”
The photograph depicts DaCosta in drag, a form of art generally presented through performance. “Drag is really personal to me,” DaCosta said. “It doesn’t really fit into a lot of other mediums.”
On the first table to the right sat the 80th issue of SubMag, free for the taking.
Next to them, members of the student-run fashion magazine club, Gem 67, sat at a table filled with copies of “zines” produced by its own “zine-team.”
Anjali Jimenez, a senior strategic communications major and editor-in-chief of Gem 67, cheerfully greeted new arrivals at their table. “We’ve taken all semester to make these zines to distribute them,” says Jimenez.
Gem 67’s table presents “mini-zines” created by their club members. A record of student tattoos, a documentary of vampirism in pop culture throughout the ages, a modern interpretation of fairy tales and a depiction of “fangirl” culture.
These “zines” are filled with photographs, paintings, sculptures and writing. All diverse in its medium but bound together in a single booklet.
The Forum Art Space was also distributing its own “zines” at ZineFest. As a student-run gallery located in the Stood, they host numerous shows throughout the semester.
These shows include paintings, sculptures, photographs and performance art. The exhibits are temporary, staying open only for a few days before uninstallation. Nikki Salvestrini, junior arts management major and co-director of The Forum Art Space, had compiled every student’s exhibition into a “zine” to memorialize their experience at The Forum Art Space.
From “After Work” by Nicholas Ruffing to “Babies Got Mocean” by Sofia Nagle, the passing shows are immortalized within the pages of The Forum Art Space “zine.”
With live music performed by student musicians and a sea of artists, the Neuberger Museum transformed into a haven of creativity.
“It was a great turnout, I’m proud to be a part of it,” said Jason Gray, a junior anthropology major and publishing intern at SubMag.