On April 14 from 11am-3pm, Davidson College will welcome more than 50 exhibitors for Queen City Zine Fest 1.5, a gathering space for makers of independently published, non-commercial zines, small press publications, and other printed matter to come together to share their work with each other and with the public at-large. These creators will come together to market and sell their work while fostering the creative community that is a zinefest. The event will take place in the Lilly Family Gallery, Chambers Building, at Davidson College. This family-friendly event is free and open to the public. Parking will be available in the Baker Lot, across from the Alvarez Student Union.
Davidson’s first-ever Zine Fest is celebrated in conjunction with a significant milestone for the college: this academic year marks the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Katherine and Tom Belk Visual Arts Center. To celebrate this significant event, the Van Every & Smith Galleries presents Homecoming: Art by Alumni, on view through April 14. The exhibition includes excerpts from graphic novelist and comic artist Ali Fitzgerald’s recent graphic memoir, Drawn to Berlin: Comic Workshops in Refugee Shelters and Other Stories from a New Europe. A 2004 graduate of Davidson College, Fitzgerald’s inclusion in this historic exhibition serves as catalyst for the Davidson installment of Queen City Zine Fest. Fitzgerald is a regular contributor to The New Yorker, where she writes and draws a monthly column called “America!” Her comics have also appeared in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, McSweeney’s, The Guardian, and more. Her artwork has been exhibited extensively in the U.S. and Europe. Current Davidson students had the chance to engage with the history, purpose, and art of zines and comics ahead of the Zine Fest with Fitzgerald during her campus visit, March 19-21.
A zine is an independently or self-published booklet, often created for small circulation using a photocopier and printmaking or hand-drawn techniques. Zines provide a unique mouthpiece for independent artists; topics covered are broad, including art and design, politics, fan fiction, and more. Zine culture has been influential in elevating political subcultures and launching music genres, and is an energetic art form that showcases the importance of the individual voice. Queen City Zine Fest brings to Davidson College zine creators and enthusiasts from across the Southeast in an inclusive and family-friendly space.
The Zine Fest will be accompanied by a print-making workshop led by Dr. Andrew Rippeon, poet, letterpress printer, and visiting assistant professor in the college writing program. The drop-in workshop will be held nearby the Zine Fest proper, in the E. Craig Wall Jr. Academic Center, and will also be free and open to the public. In addition, Zine Fest attendees are invited to attend a reception immediately following the Zine Fest at the Van Every & Smith Galleries on Davidson’s campus, where they can see Ali Fitzgerald’s work in Homecoming: Art by Alumni.
