Collide
Issue 5
[A] An art and creative writing collaboration
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1 MELTING / FAITH COSTA............................................................................................ 2 I HATE THE CLUB / ALIYAH RIOS............................................................................ 3 SEASONS CHANGE / JACLYN ISIS............................................................................ 4 LAVENDER, 2023 / CAROLINE TWOHILL............................................................ 5 AINT DOWNING YET / JIHAN A. THOMAS.......................................................... 6 VOIDS / JUJU BEY................................................................................................................. 7 JOY / REAGAN WATKINS............................................................................................... 8 NATURALLY BEAUTIFUL / GIGI LOVOND........................................................... 9 ALL OUT FOR TODAY / JENNIFER RUSSELL........................................................12 CAFETERIA 1949 / LEWIS GENTILE.......................................................................13 PIRANHAS / SCOOT HENNESSY............................................................................. 14 MY FRIEND, JC / SARAH JOY DUNLAP................................................................. 15 COLLIDE WORKSHOPS AT EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY ............ 16 I BELIEVE IN JUSTICE / RAMSIE ARNOTT....................................................... 16 MEANING OF JUSTICE / CARLOS RHODES.......................................................17 JUSTICE / DORA ROZSALYI..........................................................................................17 CREATOR SPOTLIGHT: RYANN BRYANT ......................................................... 18 THERE’S A MONKEY ON MY BACK / RYANN BRYANT............................... 19 I WOULD APPRECIATE A RESPONSE / DESTINY H.H................................ 20 THE PAINTER VS THE PAPER CUTTER / BLUE BENÉT...............................21 CLOCKED / WILLIAM THOMAS............................................................................. 23 FRIEND OF THE SEA / MYA CRITTENDEN.........................................................24 OPHELIA / MIKE BAGWELL......................................................................................26 MUSHROOMHEAD / KRISTINE VILLANUEVA............................................... 27
HIVE / LESLIE BILLHYMER........................................................................................28 FOR JIMMY / KELLY WITTMAN.............................................................................29 FLUID REFLECTIONS / DRAGON’S PITCHFORK.......................................... 30 TRANSLUCENT / KARLA DITTMANN...................................................................31 PARALLEL / DAVID LERNER....................................................................................... 32 FLAMBOROUGH HEAD, YORKSHIRE / VALERIE PANTALONE............33 HENRY: DON’T FRET, JUST RUN (2014) / JOSH ALLAIN..............................34 CIRCLE OF STRIFE / NICK AUSTIN........................................................................35 A LETTER TO MY ANXIETY / SHARMILA.........................................................36 SYCAMORE #1 (IM A BOY N UR A GIRL) / SAM SANKEY.......................... 37 MEMENTO MORANGE / MARTINA MERLO...................................................39 SLOW DOWN / LINDSEY GILL................................................................................... 41 FEATURE: STEVEN “SHANE” SCHNEIDER ......................................................42 DANCIN’ POEM / STEVEN “SHANE” SCHNEIDER.........................................43 CONTRIBUTORS ..............................................................................................................45 CREATORS...........................................................................................................................52
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PATREON SUBSCRIBERS: Stacey Gill Becca Dent Hanagan Kathleen Mulkerin Joseph Nicolello JOIN FOR JUST $3 PER MONTH TO GET EXCLUSIVE OFFERS ON UPCOMING EVENTS, DIGITAL DOWNLOADS, AND MORE!
INTRODUCTION This zine was the brainchild of a Philly artist who wandered into an open mic one Friday night. As she watched poets, singers, musicians, and comedians take the stage, she noticed they all had something in common: a deeply human way of connecting that resonated with the audience. She wished that as a visual artist she could do the same thing these people did—that somehow, she could record the same fleeting qualities of a live performance in an image people could hold onto forever.
WANT TO BE IN OUR NEXT ISSUE? SCAN HERE TO APPLY!
Collide Zine is just that, but with a twist. It offers a space for artists and writers to collaborate by pairing them together. Each spread you see in this zine is a set of one writer, one artist. Together the two collaborate to create new work or keep their submission as is.
A new issue of the zine will debut quarterly and will be available both digitally and physically for purchase, either through our website or in one of several partnered bookstores across Philadelphia. Please follow our Instagram for the most recent updates on issue drops, events, and art shows. The more people hear about Collide, the more submissions we can get for upcoming issues. We want to bring artists together in a way that is not overly curated or exclusive, so please share this with any creatives in your life.
We hope this zine is as fun to read as it is to create. Special thanks go out to the open mic venues of Philadelphia that have both inspired and helped this project continue and to grow its audience. We also can’t thank enough the numerous artists and poets that have shared Collide with their own circles, creating collaborative opportunities for the zine beyond our wildest dreams.
EVERY ARTIST IS VALID. EVERY CREATIVE PERSON DESERVES TO BE SEEN.
With the debut of Collide 5, we are continuing to expand our impact as a creative publication through partnerships with venues, galleries, bookstores, and outside sponsors that are passionate about this project. We are always looking for new ways to connect artists and writers across all disciplines. If you would like to help keep this zine low cost and our events free to attend, consider supporting us on Patreon.
With Gratitude, Lindsey Gill & Katie Dempsey Editors and Creators
[1]
MELTING FAITH COSTA
[2]
I HATE THE CLUB ALIYAH RIOS
The white girls are on the balcony, Their arms swinging up and down as they ignore the tune coming from the DJ booth cause after all the beat is only a suggestion, reminding us the real show is always them and we are merely side characters, an afterthought left to turn green. I peel one foot off the floor after the other, the collected liquor on the ground created a sticky paste I grew familiar with it. I squeeze my way through the crowd, a sea of bright, pale faces chanting our school pride but I don’t contribute. The stuffy air and strangers’ sweat imprison me. As I step further inside I am guided by hands placed on the lower back, cause how else can a man go through without leaving the prints from his fingertips that claims bodies as theirs, claims me on my exposed skin leaving a trail from their thick breath that lingers so easily in my nostrils. I can’t breathe. Dirty sprites and long island teas, a college student’s thirst quencher, are press onto every pair of lips and rise high above as a savior, my savior. Flashing lights illuminate its glory all night cause ultimately we all came to worship it. That I came to forget the blinking sign ahead that screams my disparity and to forget everything else.
[3]
SEASONS CHANGE JACLYN ISIS
Like a flower’s petal, I fell for you. I’m waiting for the sun to shine so we can chase it together but as the days go by and the weather remains chilly, the cold realization is that shit happens and things change. The seasons are colliding and making my feelings delusional but seasons too, still change. Will they change for the better? The way flowers bloom from the winter to summer I skipped spring because some of the leaves are still dead I don’t want a spring love I want the summer So when the winter comes back, I’ll have your warmth to discover… Do you remember me? Do you remember us? Do you remember my flower? I loved the way your eyes lit up whenever you talked about something you cared about. Will they light up at the mention of my name? Or is that just a fantasy? A silly time warp, does that make me insane? I remember having those insiders in a public place but somehow we managed to make it feel like we were alone And now I am, alone -
You see I’m stuck in the middle between u and i We’re together on a keyboard but that’s the closest we’ll ever get Confused on what to do about this picture perfect frame I have created It’s a faded memory from when we dated All of my thoughts intertwine with chaotic obsessions leaving me frustrated, I should have never waited. I should have never waited for a reassurance from you. You tell me one thing but act on another and somehow the pain still feels new. But I think I’m finally learning to be on my own. I bloomed by myself Your pedals are no longer sewn in my bone. I am invulnerable I am rising. I am rising. I am rising. And there is a beautiful revolution happening inside of me. A beautiful rose telling me it’s okay to obtain my own nutrients without the help of another [4]
Telling me not to seek validation from someone who sees me as an obligation Not to wait for the answers that have already been cooking up in my pot of sensations For I am the maker of my own
feelings So I must make a change and make a meal A revolution is growing inside of me and it’s turning into something beautiful A strong, cemented, rose
LAVENDER, 2023 CAROLINE T WOHILL
AINT DOWNING YET JIHAN A. THOMAS
[6]
VOIDS JUJU BEY
Dreaming of the sea working 9 to fives I’m not expressing all of me, lacking love and relationships ready to call it quits filling my voids with potato chips, feeling hopeless with relationships. Do I trust men? Am I comfortable around men? Am I comfortable with myself around men? why am I not attracting men in my life do I think I’m not worthy of a man loving me?Am I afraid of opening up to a man from seeing them abuse me and the women in my family? Do I know how to choose men? I know the men I need to avoid, is that why I can’t attract men because what I don’t want is my void?
[7]
COLLIDE WORKSHOPS AT EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY Collide proudly partnered with Eastern State Penitentiary throughout the month of June 2023 to host interactive poetry and art workshops in the museum’s historic courtyard. After taking the Penitentiary’s audio tour, visitors of all ages had the opportunity to join Two girls answering the Collide prompt with drawings our Collide activity table, to respond to the question, “What does justice mean to you?” The prompt was open, meaning We thank Eastern State for the answers could be either writing or a making Collide an integral part visual artwork. Featured here are works of its June Summer Night Tours, by students Dora Rozsalyi, Ramsie Arnott, inspiring countless visitors to and Carlos Rhodes. get creative and connect with strangers through the process. Following the art creation hour, participants had another hour to share If you are interested in having a their work with the group on our live Collide collaborative experience open mic, which broadcasted the voices at your own special venue in the of all our creatives over loudspeakers to Philadelphia area, please reach tourist groups nestled in various corners out to us on social media! of the courtyard.
I BELIEVE IN JUSTICE | RAMSIE ARNOT T [ 16 ]
MEANING OF JUSTICE CARLOS RHODES
Justice has a universal meaning Not good nor bad, but a balance For justice to work it requires everyone’s believing But the world is full of people who denies the challenge Justice is best served with equal opportunity Without any discrimination or hidden hate Justice will forever help the community And change the world to a better place Justice will never be a one person task It takes every party and every state No one can rely on a vigilante with a mask We the people choose our own fate Justice will solve our problems in time All we have to do is believe in our wisdom With equal punishment regarding crime Making justice a complete system
JUSTICE | DORA ROZSALYI [ 17 ]
CREATOR SPOTLIGHT: RYANN BRYANT RyAnn V. Bryant is a 33 year old Philadelphia native, former podcaster, poet, and self published author. Her published literary works are “Situations Vol. 1,” “Poetical Vol. 1,” and “Situations Vol. 2.” She has been a part of various platforms such as PHL Juneteenth, hosts “Sunday Soul Open Mic” in Philadelphia and has been featured on the podcast “The Uncommon Ground.” As she continues to grow in her art, her main wish is to uplift and heal people with her words. She cites her inspiration as: “the ability to connect with people through shared vulnerable/transparent moments. When people read my work and tell me that they can relate to it, it makes me feel seen as well as confirming my purpose in writing/poetry. My goal is to let people know that they aren’t alone in their experiences with healing, self reflection and/or love.” Besides poetry, she also enjoys singing, listening to music, attending concerts, traveling, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her close family. She has been a respiratory nurse for 5 years.
“When people read my work and tell me that they can relate to it, it makes me feel seen as well as confirming my purpose in writing/poetry. My goal is to let people know that they aren’t alone in their experiences with healing, self reflection and/or love.”
Follow RyAnn: @iamrya on Instagram & RyAnn Bryant on Facebook
[ 18 ]
THERE’S A MONKEY ON MY BACK RYANN BRYANT Be careful what you pray for because you just might receive it… Steady believing that you are in the midst of preparedness for the intimacy you’ve been longing for… Until you get it… All of a sudden, glancing outside of your window and what’s outside of your Union seems more appealing and the feeling of lack thereof has you questioning whether it’s in their arms at night is where you wish to be… There’s a monkey on my back with both hands on opposing sides of my face positioning me to look beyond what God has blessed me with… A devoted love… Trying to shake free of the feeling of doubt and self sabotage but I can’t seem to get him off me… Hearing whispers in my ears saying that I’m trapped and reminding me of days when detachment felt free, and multiple dates felt liberating, new experiences excited and defined me… I have a monkey on my back that’s weighing heavy on me and as the uncertainty grows, my anxiety increases, nitpicking your faults is my new fondest hobby, finding any reason to deem that my new love isn’t good for me… Because exploring this vulnerability is freighting for me… Exposing my heart open to air at risk for compromise, a possible
infectious disregard of my willingness to become a woman looks beyond her past trauma and let you in… But isn’t this what I prayed for?.. Isn’t this the consistency I longer for?… Isn’t this what I became aggravated with while being so free and liberated and polyamorous… So… unattached…. I longed for love to feel like home.. The familiarity of a significant other.. The consistency of a man that saw through to my faulted layers, this wasn’t what I was getting before… I was actually getting tired of the repetition of new day, new bae, new questions, new dates, new man, same traits… I wanted to escape it all… So now with this monkey on my back I have realized how easy it is to live life in comparison… While it’s currently stealing my joy of which I asked to acquire… Realizing the grass over there is greener only because it’s fake… Not to let my inquisitive mind risk my lonely prayers and put my commitment at stake … I’m sorry… But this reflection was needed… Had to be honest with myself before I threw our love away… Just to plead for it back once I got a taste.. Of everything I despised which lead to change and brought me to you in the first place…
[ 19 ]
I WOULD APPRECIATE A RESPONSE DESTINY H.H.
Why is it that when her tongue twists itself to speak about you it gets caught in her vocal cords? Why is it that when you give compliments the sound of your voice burns a hole through the lining of my chest? Why do your doe eyes feel like they should belong to a wolf? Why do your hands feel like sandpaper when they rub against someone you like? Why are you so pervasive in everyone’s thoughts but never present in anyone’s life?
[ 20 ]
THE PAINTER VS THE PAPER CUTTER BLUE BENÉT [ 21 ]
HIVE | LESLIE BILLHYMER [ 28 ]
FOR JIMMY KELLY WIT TMAN
Were you cold that night? Slouched on the rusted park bench, cigarette burning between your broken fingers. Gravel and Marlboro bones begging for rest. I hope you thought of sheets that clung to wooden clips and sunshine, honey barbecues and buzzing bike wheels. I wonder if you saw the Three Girls smiling at you through a Kodak Christmas print-outall bows and ruffled poses. Did you smile back? I like to think the picture found a home on your fridge next to the scribbled lists and carton of milk left open on the counter. Signs of life. When it began to snow, did you see the Christmas of ‘66? Laughing at your sister, pulling tinsel from your hair, shooting BB’s at Ronnie’s belly-button. I hope you know I waited for your call every Christmas. I spent the evening listening by the stairs, imagining the sound of your voice as dad wished you a ‘Happy New Year.’ Climbing into bed, listening for bells and galloping hooves, soon turned into toasting a sweet red to a plastic pine. But I never stopped thinking of the man on the other side of the phone who never knew home. You are loved You are loved You are loved.
[ 29 ]
SLOW DOWN [ 41 ]
LINDSEY GILL
CONTRIBUTORS SARAH JOY DUNLAP SHE/ HER
Sarah Joy Dunlap is a multidisciplinary artist from North Alabama. She currently resides in Philadelphia, in pursuit of her MFA at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Themes of community, resilience, and tenacious hope inform her work. IG: @sarahjoy.art | Web: sarahjoydunlap.com
LEWIS GENTILE
JOSH ALLAIN
HE/ H I M
HE/H IM
Lewis Gentile is a writer as well as a musician from Bethlehem PA. He runs a zine called Nu Tunes Zine that features photography, art, poetry, and musicrelated submissions. He also writes weekly music writeups on the Nu Tunes Instagram and is a recent professional writing graduate from Kutztown University.
Josh Allain (born on January 29, 1991) is a cartoonist from Delaware County, PA, adjacent to Philly. His work is inspired by astronomy, music, and surrealism. He graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in 2014 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in general fine arts. Since 2017, Josh has displayed his work at pop-up exhibitions throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area.
IG: @nutunes | @lewgoogle
IG: @josh.allain Web: joshallain.com/store.html
MIKE BAGWELL
KELLY WIT TMAN
HE/ H I M
SH E /H E R
Mike Bagwell is a writer and software engineer in Philly. He received an MFA from Sarah Lawrence and has work published or forthcoming in HAD, BULL, Bodega Magazine, SOFTBLOW, Whiskey Island, and others. Some editors have kindly nominated him for a Pushcart. His chapbook “A Collision of Soul in Midair” is forthcoming from Bottlecap Press. He was the founding editor and designer of the deceased El Aleph Press.
Kelly is a Saint Joseph’s University graduate with a Bachelor’s in English. She was an Assistant Lifestyles Editor for “The Hawk Newspaper” and an editor for for “Crimson and Gray Literary Magazine.” She has a passion for people and believes everyone has a story to tell. She continues to pursue her passion in her professional and personal life through a career in nonprofit work and her calling as a storyteller.
IG: low_gh0st | Web: mikebagwell.me
IG: @Kelly_witty
[ 45 ]
CONTRIBUTORS MARTINA MERLO THEY/SHE
Martina Merlo is a multimedia artist and designer living in Philly. They had been working as an architect for 5 years until transitioning to making art full-time this Spring. With a background in time-based media art and multi-form writing—in addition to their architectural studies and practice—Martina loves telling stories through music, design, video, and largescale installations and is excited to debut a prose poem through Collide. IG: @martinatmerlo | vimeo.com/user9302144 medianstrip.bandcamp.com/album/lucid-dream-ep
REAGAN WATKINS
DESTINY H.H.
S HE/ H ER
SHE/ HER
Reagan Watkins has long been immersed in the world of words. Starting her writing journey at the age of 5, she quickly discovered her passion for storytelling, playwriting, and songs. However, it was during her 7th-grade English class that the magic of poetry took hold of her heart. Inspired by the richness of the Harlem Renaissance, Reagan found solace and inspiration in the art of poetic expression. Since then, she has dedicated herself to penning verses that speak to the depths of the soul. IG: @sugar.poems Web: sugarpoems.com
As a rising college senior, she is excited to venture further into the art world. An illustrator and poet, she aims to eventually get her graphic novel idea and chapbook off the ground! IG: @destinyciera.cc | @deswithblu
RAMSIE ARNOT T SH E /H E R
Ramsie Arnott is an 11 year old girl growing up in Raleigh, NC. Growing up in the times of Covid and the Black Lives Matter movement, Ramsie has a lot of questions and wonders about the world we live in and how to make it a better place.
WILLIAM THOMAS HE/ THEY
Aspiring songwriter and rapper highly educated in old school hip hop! Soundcloud.com/willyt37
[ 46 ]
CONTRIBUTORS VALERIE PANTALONE
CAROLINE T WOHILL
S HE/ H ER
SH E /H E R
Born in Philadelphia, Valerie Pantalone grew up in southern New Jersey. She studied printmaking/book arts at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia but left the program in her senior year due to illness. She went on to Rowan University College of Art and Design for art education but found that teaching art wasn’t in her heart. At Rowan University, she discovered her love for painting, nature, and color, which has developed into her art practice.
Caroline Twohill is an award winning fine art mixed media encaustic photographer based in Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. She received her BS from The Art Institute of Philadelphia in 2012 and her MA from Barry University in 2017. She photographs with a variety of analog medium format film cameras and her pieces are conceived with the infusion of using bees wax, tree sap and encaustic oil paints. Due to this, each piece results in being one of a kind.
IG: @valeriepantaloneart Web: valeriepantaloneart.com
IG: @cultivatewithcaroline Web: carolinetwohill.com
JUJU BEY
GIGI LOVOND
THEY/ THEM
SHE/H E R
JuJu is from West Philadelphia PA. They always felt alienated in the world and created their own world using writing as an outlet, and writing turned them into a song writer. They have a song named “Wake Up!” on Spotify. JuJu is also a designer and has their own brand and clothing line named Ju.UniverseLLC. JuJu uses their creative expression as a self coping mechanism to heal their childhood trauma/depression. JuJu also has a spiritual business using meditation and sound healing bowls.
This is Gigi and welcome to her world of color. She is from Philadelphia PA, and has a taste for all things culture. She has always enjoyed art but didn’t start her personal journey into art until 2020. Gigi finds influences from her surroundings. She believes you can find art anywhere. And she hopes she can help you see that. She usually starts with what colors feel right at the moment and then lets the brush and paint take its shape.
IG: @Ju.Universe | Spotify: JuJu Bey
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IG: Gigi LoVond Gallery Web: gigilovondgallery.com
CONTRIBUTORS DRAGON’S PITCHFORK
JIHAN A. THOMAS
H E/ H I M
SH E /H E R
Dragon’s Pitchfork, a multi-passionate creator, leads the Hip Hop collective, GRYSKLL. His battles with mental illness inspired him to focus on promoting improved mental wellness using Healing Arts. Through podcasts, live streams & Twitter Spaces, he openly discusses topics like depression & trauma. In partnership with his wife Yani, he operates House of Fluid Reflections, a venture focused on rehumanizing creators. He’s also exploring opportunities in AI & Web 3 for creators worldwide.
Jihan A. Thomas is Black visual artist, Artivist, Mother and community/museum arts educator based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. To Jihan, art can be a conduit for empowerment and self preservation. Symbolism, Black surrealism and the Black figure can be found in her work. Jihan uses various mediums such as painting, drawing, ceramics and illustration. Themes in her work include Black womanhood, resistance, joy, motherhood, disability, love, and pain.
IG: dragonspitchfork Web: dragonspitchfork.com
IG: @mindsmine3 Web: originalseedexpressions.com
LINDSEY GILL
JENNIFER RUSSELL
S HE/ H ER
SH E /H E R
Lindsey Gill is a freelance artist and yoga teacher living in Philadelphia, PA. Her drawings, watercolors, and digital paintings are inspired by her love of nature, storytelling, typography, and mental health. Lindsey enjoys local open mics and aims to connect artists in every way possible though projects like Collide. She writes poetry, paints, and explores the city. She also teaches yoga at a studio in Queen Village, the part of Philadelphia she loves most.
Jennifer Russell (A.K.A. jensalittleloopy) is a self-taught mixed media/collage artist based in South Jersey. Her work can best be described as rainbowcore cosmic jester. Jen’s work is marked by a deep appreciation for the textures and colors of vintage materials in contrast with a vibrant paint palette, and often incorporates collaged found poetry. Her work has been shown internationally and in numerous online shows/galleries.
IG: @lindseygillart Web: lindseygillart.com
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IG: @jensalittleloopy Web: jensalittleloopy.com Twitter: @jenjustjen3
CONTRIBUTORS FAITH COSTA
KARLA DIT TMANN
S HE/ H ER
SH E /H E R
Faith Costa is a New Jersey based artist who focuses on painting. From flowers, landscapes, abstracts, animals, and more, Faith’s work aims to brighten your day and make you feel. Her acrylic miniature and full size paintings on canvas are bound to transport you to a magical place. As a lifelong painter and maker, her original artwork comes from the heart.
Karla is a recent transplant from D.C. who writes about the rigid expectations placed on women. She tries to make sense of the often incoherent world around her by trading off between sensical and nonsensical verses in her writing. She hopes that in sharing words through poetry, readers can identify—that is, to feel understood without forfeiting their uniqueness.
IG: @faithcosta_originalartwork Web: faithcosta.com etsy.com/shop/faithcostaartwork
IG: @lemon.peel_
KRISTINE VILLANUEVA SHE/ HER
Kristine Villanueva is a Philadelphia-based journalist who rediscovered her love for art during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her art combines personal experience with methods of community-based approaches to journalism, such as crowdsourcing, to help capture a corner of the human experience. She remains inspired by nature, her Filipino heritage, and her cat, Perceus (a.k.a Percy). IG: @aliyaharios
SAM SANKEY
CARLOS RHODES
THEY/ THEM
H E /H IM
Sam Sankey is a Philly based painter working primarily in gouache. Their vibrant vignettes are inspired by their youth growing up in NJ and focus on otherness, specifically queerness. They have been featured in Very Magazine, South Street Art Mart and Hamilton Street Gallery. Sankey is also a handpoke tattooer and an avid lover of hanging out. IG: @sam.sankey
He is a new Philadelphia writer looking to create different types of writing such as short stories, poems, and song, writing all in different genres. His aspirations are to one day publish a book, then turn books into movies. He looks forward to working with different groups who all share creative goals. IG: @legendaryylos
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CONTRIBUTORS MYA CRIT TENDEN
DAVID LERNER
S H E/ H ER
H E /H IM
Mya Crittenden is a 22 year old Philadelphia self taught artist, who has developed skills in drawing, painting, digital art, photography, and special effects makeup. She is currently doing part-time art commissions as a way to develop and explore new mediums. Mya’s visual inspiration often combines elements of science fiction, illustrative landscape, realism, and portraits. Mya plans to focus more heavily on large scale pieces and collaborative work.
David Lerner has been making music professionally for over twenty years, taught private and group classes for kindergartners to adults for over twelve years, and created the children’s musiclearning app, Music Tales. He has been a clinician at TMEA and The Village School STEAM Summit, speaking on “Fun Technology in the Elementary Classroom,” and has been a featured entrepreneur in articles from ShoutOutHTX and Voyage Magazine. IG: @dvlerner Web: lernerseducation.com
IG: @thecurlycowboy.jpg
SHARMILA
ALIYAH RIOS
S HE/ H ER
SH E /H E R
Sharmila is a creative writer, passionate about writing on hope and the human condition as a whole. She centers her work on self-love, healing, self-acceptance, and resilience. She wants to inspire others, provide hope to the hopeless, and, though she may be petite in physical frame, her force is larger than the life she once thought she was exclusively confined to.
Aliyah Rios was born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia to a proud Puerto Rican family. From her days of writing fan-fiction to performing for spoken words and working with a couple of literary magazines, her love for literature was embedded in everything she’s done. She is a recent Penn State graduate but will continue to pursue her passion as she continues her MA in Creative Writing.
IG: @whateversharmila
IG: @aliyaharios
DORA ROZSALYI SHE/ HER
Rising 10th grader at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, MD.
[ 50 ]
CONTRIBUTORS NICK AU STIN
LESLIE BILLHYMER
H E/ H I M
SH E /H E R
Nick Austin, poetically known as BARS, has been a spoken word artist for over a decade. A published author, a worldwide poetry slam champion, a hip-hop artist, a host, and an overall lover of all things poetic. Currently based in the Philadelphia area, but born in Queens, NY. Upcoming projects include his second book of poetry and a musical album.
Leslie’s recent analog collage work uses recent and historical photography and print material to explore exaggerations and idiosyncrasies of our personal and collective places, objects, and the construction thereof. In the process, she hopes to open up deeper introspection, imagination, and understanding of how we live for herself and others.
IG: @NickAustinPoetry
IG: @lab_artspace
BLUE BENÉT THEY/ THEM
Blue Benét is a Philly-based, transmasculine, non-binary interdisciplinary artist. They index transition through materiality in their sculpture, performance, installation, painting, photography, and video work. They were recently nominated for the Dedalus MFA Fellowship for their work at PAFA, where they are working towards their second MFA. This summer, Blue was an Artist in Residence at Art Farm and Camp Unirondack, where they taught a queer environmental art workshop. IG: @bluebenet | Web: bluebenetart.com
JACLYN ISIS
SCOOT HENNESSY
SHE/ HER
TH E Y/SH E
Jaclyn Isis Navarro is a community leader & co-CEO of The Wholesome Foundation; a multicultural business dedicated to serving all people with community events and opportunities. She expresses herself artistically through singing, dancing, and poetry. She strives to be a mover & shaker of Philadelphia and beyond! IG: @Jiggy.Jackk | @JaclynIsis_ @WholesomeOfficial
I am a poet, musician and content creator. I write about the existential confusion of our lives and the endless search for meaning, happiness and purpose. I am a trans woman and an anti-capitalist. Most of my work revolves around mental health and the pitfalls of our society. My mantra is this: “Excited to live, unafraid to die.“ IG: scoot.hennessy
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CREATORS LINDSEY GILL
KATIE DEMPSEY
S HE/ H ER
SH E /H E R
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
ART DIRECTOR
Lindsey Gill is a freelance artist, muralist, and yoga teacher living in Philadelphia, PA. Her drawings, watercolors, and digital paintings are inspired by her love of nature, storytelling, typography, and mental health. She is a little bit of everything and aspires to travel the world helping others through art and expressive therapy.
Katie Dempsey is a graphic designer from New Jersey who has been living in Philadelphia since November 2020. She graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s Degree in English in 2015, and chose to pursue graphic design shortly thereafter. Between 2016 and 2018, she took several design courses at Brookdale Community College, and has been working as a graphic designer since May 2018. Her favorite aspect of graphic design is organizing the various elements on a page to fit together in an aesthetically pleasing way, much like a game of tetris. She also enjoys creating collages (both digital and traditional) and skulking around taking photos of the cute architecture in her neighborhood of Queen Village.
When she is not out and about at one of her multiple jobs, Lindsey tries to write poetry, reads, and meditates with her cat Abba. You can find her work in the storefronts of Pretty Green Terrariums and Nice Things Handmade, both shops in Philly that support local artists. She also teaches yoga at a studio in Queen Village, the part of Philly she loves most and calls home. IG: @lindseygillart lindseycgill@gmail.com
IG: @katiedempseygraphics katiedempseygraphics.com
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About This Zine Collide is a collaborative project born out of the idea of bringing the intimate art of spoken word poetry and open mic culture to a larger stage. It is made BY creatives, FOR creatives, with the objective of bringing visual artists and writers together in a unique and exciting way that permanently records their stories. Writers and visual artists who submit their work to Collide are matched with a partner for one spread of the zine, and have the option to create new work based on each other’s concepts. Collide is not only a quarterly published zine, but a community of like-minded freelancers dedicated to bringing the artistic community of Philly together through art markets, open mics, and collaborative events. Each issue is provided at a low cost thanks to individual supporters as well as Walls for Justice. You can purchase the zine online through the Walls for Justice website, or in any of our partnered bookstores across the Philadelphia area. See the full list of storefronts on our website.
For updates and future events, follow @collidezinephilly & @wallsforjustice [ 54 ]