Moody the Zine : Curating Creatives

Rachel Hausmann Schall

What began as a project prompted by the pandemic and is now connecting creators from around the world, Moody the Zine has independently published over 20 issues since infiltrating the zine scene in January 2021. Moody delivers bi-monthly zine (short for magazine) publications straight to subscriber mailboxes. With representation of all types of artistic mediums and processes including the visual arts, literary arts, music, and film, the zine features BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and queer-identifying creatives. Each issue highlights the work of six artists, ranging geographically from cities like Milwaukee and Minneapolis to Melbourne and beyond.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, founder Melissa Mursch-Rodriguez began Moody out of curatorial necessity. Because people were no longer gathering in person at exhibition spaces, Melissa was inspired to continue her curatorial interests with risographprinted zines. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2018 with a BFA in studio arts, Mursch-Rodriguez found it challenging to remain focused on just one art form. She became interested in curating and programming events that encouraged interactivity, with connection as a common thread… and Moody was born.

Moody the Zine platforms creatives via a standard and free submission process. From there, Melissa curates the submissions into each publication. The selected artists, writers, musicians, poets, and makers are encouraged to create something new for the zine upon acceptance. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a completely new piece of art or writing, however. Melissa is drawn to the preliminary stages of the artistic process and appreciates the beauty of experimentation. She likes to include sketches, notes, inspirational images, drawings, or alternative formatting to present contributors’ work in new and exciting ways. Melissa says she wants creatives to “use Moody a way to experiment and think about their work or artistic practice differently and play around in a way they aren’t used to,” This approach leads to visually intriguing zine spreads, eye-catching designs and layouts, and a wide variety of artistic mediums, styles, and subject matter represented in each issue. The bi-monthly publications aren’t the only thing that Moody offers. Special publications like a recent poetry issue, collaborations with organizations like Butterfly

Collective and Braided Magazine, and an anthology edition that features content from the first year of Moody contributors are also available.

With representation of all types of artistic mediums and processes including the visual arts, literary arts, music, and film, the zine features BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and queer-identifying creatives.

Thanks to the zine’s growth and recognition over the past two years, Melissa has received grant funding from No Studios, The Open Fund, and gener8tor.Art for her work with Moody, allowing each artist to be paid for their contribution to the zine. Moody now participates in markets, fairs, and events, making the zine accessible to wider audiences. Melissa is finding fresh ways to support artists and promote their work at upcoming events. By revisiting the archive of Moody’s contributors, Melissa is curating exhibitions with a similar foundation upon which the zine is built. Taking inspiration from the behind-the-scenes nature of the artistic process, Moody will exhibit finished artworks alongside sketchbook pages, mementos, inspirational photos and texts, drawings, and notes to showcase creatives as more holistic makers. Melissa says, “There’s not a lot of opportunities for artists to exhibit these parts of the preliminary stages with their finished work and there’s a sense of intimacy with those ephemeral objects. More ‘traditional’ types of exhibitions can feel inaccessible to some who don’t have the visual art vocabulary or who may not necessarily know how to interpret art, and this type of work allows people to understand it on a new level and is something that feels familiar.”

The transformation of moving Moody “off the page” and into the gallery post-pandemic means that exciting things are on the horizon for the zine. Platforming creatives and supporting the work of BIPOC and queer makers by embracing their processes will remain at the center of Moody’s mission.

Melissa Mursch-Rodriguez (she/her) is an artist, curator, and writer. In May 2018, she received a BFA in Studio Arts (focus in Fiber Arts), along with a Minor in Art History, at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee. Post-grad, Melissa has worked in multiple education roles assisting youth in art at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Sharp Literacy, and, currently, the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. Most recently as a curator, Melissa juried the show Age of the Bimbo at Woman Made Gallery in Chicago and organized three exhibitions as a resident curator at the Gray Area (inside Milwaukee’s Hawthorn Contemporary Gallery). She also runs Moody, a bi-monthly zine subscription and platform for Queer and/or BIPOC creatives. Her work via Moody has earned her multiple grants, including the NōSstudios Visual Art Grant, The Open Fund Artist Project Grant, and Gener8tor Art.

Find a free, downloadable one-page zine by Moody at artdosemagazine.com

The Art Preserve at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center

The Art Preserve of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center presents JMKAC's collection of 25,000 individual works of art by more than 30 art-environment builders. It opened in 2021 and is the only museum dedicated to art environments. The Art Preserve features immersive displays of art environments and curated visible storage of environment components. It also serves as a resource for research on art environments and the artists who create them.

Tuesday-Wednesday & Friday 10am–5pm, Thursday 10am–8pm, Saturday and Sunday, 10am–4pm; 3636 Lower Falls Road, Sheboygan, WI 53081; 920.453.0346; jmkac.org

Cedarburg Art Museum

Located in the heart of Cedarburg in a stunning 1898 red brick Victorian home, the Cedarburg Art Museum champions historic and contemporary local arts through its collection, exhibitions, events, and museum shop. The museum is free and open to the public with rotating exhibitions of local, Wisconsin art and works from the permanent collection.

Thursday-Saturday, 10am-4pm and Sundays 12pm-4pm; W63N675 Washington Avenue, Cedarburg, WI; 262.377.6123; cedarburgartmuseum.org

James May Gallery

Started in Algoma in 2014 James May Gallery moved to Milwaukee spring 2023. The gallery is named after owner, Kendra Bulgrin’s two young sons, Everett James and Forrest May. The artist-run gallery specializes in showing regional and national artists and craftspeople both emerging and established. The gallery exceeds at helping first time art buyers as well as collectors expand or start their art collection in a friendly, knowledgeable atmosphere. JMG also offers on-site art consulting.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday: 10:30am-5:30pm & Friday 11:00am-5:30pm; 2201 North Farwell Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202; 262.753.3130; jamesmaygallery.com

James Watrous Gallery

The James Watrous Gallery is dedicated to amplifying Wisconsin artists. Located on the third floor of Overture Center for the Arts in downtown Madison, the Watrous focuses on solo and curated exhibitions that feature contemporary Wisconsin artists. As a program of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters, the gallery aims to draw connections between art and other disciplines.

Thursday-Friday 12-6pm, Saturday 11-5pm, Sunday 12-5pm; 201 State St, Madison, WI 54703; 608.733.6633 x25; wisconsinacademy.org/gallery

Levee Contemporary

Levee Contemporary is a commercial Gallery and art space located in Princeton, Wisconsin. Levee was founded in 2019 between the partnership of two Mississippi boys - Artist/Educator Andrew Blanchard and Collector/Entrepreneur Shane Foreman. Levee Presents a diverse range of Artists and artwork, striking a critical balance between progressive works that challenge its audience and creative content that excites viewers with simple acts of enjoyment and visual stimulation.

Thursday-Monday 10am-6pm or by appointment; 518 West Water Street, Princeton, WI 54968; 920.393.8653; leveecontemporaryart.com

newARTSpace

We are a non-commercial artist-driven initiative creating exhibition, event, and studio space in downtown De Pere, WI. Through enlivening an old storefront on North Broadway, newARTSpace expands opportunities for contemporary art discourse in Northeastern Wisconsin and beyond. Sign up on our website for the quarterly newsletter, and follow us on social media for up-to-date information on our hours, exhibitions and special events.

Hours change weekly, check website and social media for current information.; 124 N. Broadway, Ste.1, De Pere, WI 54115; newartspace124.com

Art Venues

Rahr-West Art Museum

The Rahr-West Art Museum is a City of Manitowoc facility that preserves and enhances its collections and historic mansion. The museum's purpose is to engage the dynamic learning opportunities in the visual arts, and enrich life in the area by serving as a cultural resource.

Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday-Sunday 11am-4pm; 610 N. 8th St. Manitowoc, WI; 920.686.3090; rahrwestartmuseum.org

Rochester Art Center

With your participation, we pursue a unique mission to make art and creative culture active rather than passive, to inform and invigorate our shared community. Come for world-class exhibitions and dynamic interactive programs, and discover diverse events and opportunities that encourage questioning, creativity, and critical thinking. Art and creativity help us find our own heart center. Find YOUR way to Rochester Art Center!

Wednesday-Sunday 11am-4pm; 30 Civic Center Dr. SE, STE 120, Rochester, MN 55904; 507.722.2552; rochesterartcenter.org

Rountree Gallery

Rountree Gallery is an all-volunteer, non-profit art gallery and art hub in the Southwest region of Wisconsin. Rountree Gallery hosts dynamic local and regional art exhibits in a professional gallery space within a historic building on a vibrant Main Street. Follow Rountree Gallery on FB or IG to stay up to date on call for arts and upcoming shows.

Thursdays and Fridays 4-7pm, Saturdays 10am-2pm; 120 W. Main Street, Platteville, WI 53818; 608.630.4013; rountreegallery.org

Task Creative

Task is 700 square feet of project space available for short-term rental. This space is for artists who need space to document work, create, perform, or curate a pop-up show. Task also offers screenprinting with film printing, an exposure unit, a heat press, and 18"" x 20"" screens. Do it yourself or have a pro do it for you.

3670 E Grange Ave, Cudahy, WI 53110; 414.881.1122; Schedule a tour: Info@TaskCreative.art; TaskCreative.art

Two Fish Gallery and Sculpture Garden

Our gallery is also our studio, home, classroom, and garden. We focus on fine craft, fine art, and fair trade works. The gallery and gardens are open year round with specific hours and events are listed on our website: twofishgallery.net. Clay is our specialty with a wide range of functional, sculptural, and garden works.

Varies by season. Please check our website; 244 East Rhine Street, Elkhart Lake, WI; 920.876.3192; twofishgallery.net