Art, Anarchy and Alternative News: Birmingham Zine Fest Highlights Zines
Andy Harris is curating Birmingham’s next gallery of art and renegade literature. Harris explained his intentions of establishing the Alabama Zine Library on his website Farewell, Fair Ladies. With this weekend’s Birmingham Zine Fest, the city’s first-ever weekend-long festival honoring centuries of independent publishing, Harris plans to add more funds toward finding a permanent home for the dense collection of artistic materials.
Merriam-Webster defines a zine (short for “magazine” or “fanzine”) as “a small magazine that is written by people who are not professional writers and that usually has stories about a particular subject.” The earliest example of a zine is attributed to Thomas Paine. His 1776 “Common Sense” pamphlet was a self-published, niche-market production that he handed out himself. The prolific Benjamin Franklin is also cited for developing zines for psychiatric patients, according to Wikipedia. Next followed the science-fiction zines (think H.P. Lovecraft), the punk zines, riot grrrl and feminist zines, and Internet-based zines, which can be found in online databases like ZineWiki.
The Birmingham Zine Fest kicks off Friday evening at the Continental Bakery Downtown with a dinner and zine reading. Attendees may bring their personal collection of zines and read passages aloud beginning at 6 p.m.
On Saturday, independent or aspiring writers and publishers will congregate at Seasick Records for daylong zine making from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Paperwprkers Local will teach a binding and folding workshop, How Do I DIY?, which will be a crash course in stitching and folding zines (a $20 fee covers supplies).
The weekend will conclude at Seasick Records with the Make-A-Zine-In-An-Hour-Contest, which is true to its name. Winners will be chosen based on the best zine created from a surprise theme. The $5 entry fee goes toward a cash prize for the creator of the winning zine.
Birmingham Zine Fest will take place Aug. 21-22. For more information on Birmingham Zine Fest, visit farewellfairladies.com/bhmzinefest.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20
Let Us Now Praise the Roma Party and Reception — Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. 520 16th St. N. After 15 years, Karen Graffeo’s collection of documentary photographs offers more than a glimpse into the lives of the complex culture of the Roma people of Northern Italy. During the reception, the Tzignal Duo will perform live and a gallery talk will take place during the first 45 minutes. Free. 6–8 p.m. For more information, visit bcri.org.
Art After Dark — Iberia Bank. 1301 Decatur Hwy, Fultondale. The Fultondale Arts Council’s fourth annual Art After Dark event will showcase local artists including Linda Holt, Linda England, Fred Mobley and Sheri Woods. Vanessa Hill and Ken Buono will perform live. Wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres will be served. 5:30–7:30 p.m. Free. For more information, visit the event on Facebook.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21
Can’t Get There from Here Opening Reception —Paperworkers Local. 3815 Clairmont Ave. S. Photographer Philip E. Griffith presents his latest collection, spanning two years and two states, from Alabama to Mississippi, from 2012 to 2014. On display through Sept. 13, Griffith’s photographs explore back roads, forgotten landscapes and human detritus. 5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. Free. For more information, visit paperworkerslocal.blogspot.com.
Magic City Steel Opening Reception — Naked Art Gallery. 3831 Clairmont Ave. S. During Third Friday in the Park, stop by Naked Art Gallery for the opening reception of Rodney Lawley and Reuben Halpern’s exhibit Magic City Steel. Bartenders will be volunteers from Children’s Organ Transplant Association, and 100 percent of bar tips plus 10 percent of all sales will benefit Sadie Chapman’s heart transplant fund. 5–9 p.m. Free. For more information, visit nakedartusa.com.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22
Dynamic Acrylic Images Workshop — Alabama Art Supply. 1006 23rd St. S. Thomas Andrew Findlay leads this workshop in creating acrylic paintings on black roofing paper using a palette knife. Visit alabamaart.com for a list of supplies. 10 a.m.–3 p.m. $100. For more information, call (205) 322-4741.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26
Wire Welding with Shea Skully — MAKEbhm. 4500 Fifth Ave. S. Shea Skully teaches this introductory course in wire (or metal inert gas) welding. Each student will be able to take home their own metal table base. 6–9 p.m. $130. For more information, call (205) 592-0061.
ONGOING
Interchanges — The Edge of Chaos. 1700 University Blvd. PaperWorkers Local presents, Interchanges, a new exhibition of paper works at The Edge of Chaos on display through Sept. 30. Displaying artists include Mimi Boston, John Demotte, Jill England, Andy Harris, Tenisha Hicks, Roger Jones, Linda Merry, Michael Merry, D’Arcy Savage, Richard Stockham, Joi West and Cathy Wright. Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Through Sept. 30. Free. For more information, email paperworkerslocal@gmail.com.
It Is Art — Four Seasons Gallery. 2910 18th St. S. Corrine Cox’s collection, It Is Art, highlight’s the artist’s command of pottery and sculpture in the raku tradition. Most pieces in the collection are interactive, whimsical and narrative. The exhibition will be on display until Aug. 31. Free. For more information, call (205) 803-4059.
The Right to Decide — Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts. 1221 10th Ave. S. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, signed into law on August 6, 1965, the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts presents this international poster invitational featuring 62 artists from 25 different countries with never-before-seen posters on display through Nov. 16. Mondays to Fridays from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m. Free. For more information, visit uab.edu.
Annual Student/Teaching Artist Exhibit — Space One Eleven. 2409 Second Ave. N. Space One Eleven (SOE) presents the Annual Student and Teaching Artist Exhibition. Collective works by rising second through sixth graders who attended Space One Eleven’s 2015 summer art camps will be on display next to works by the teaching artists who instructed during the summer camp “I’M AN ALABAMA ARTIST TOO.” Pieces from the Portfolio Development Course for Teens are also on exhibit. Free. For more information, visit spaceoneeleven.org.
Layers of Meaning — Birmingham Public Library. 2100 Park Place. The acrylic paintings in Layers of Meaning surge with emotion and energy that reflect the artist’s intuitive process of discovering deeper levels of color, mood and importance. Matthew Mayes explained that the properties of acrylic paint allow each painting to determine its direction and give the artist the opportunity to exercise confidence in his talent and display an impressive array of themes. Available through Sept. 4. For more information, visit bplonline.org.