SCENE “Max Boil,” acrylic painting by Alexander Lynch.
to any individual with an interest in DIY, print and zine culture,” Moreno said. “We didn’t feel the need to limit anyone that was willing to participate, and so this is why we have different mediums up on display, from zines to framed collaged artwork, paintings, prints and even works including found objects.” The Blackbird space provides a suitably homey, intimate setting for displaying the pieces submitBlackbird DIY art show previews ted for the DIY-ers show. In fact, some of the pieces—such as Will upcoming Chico festival Bryant’s series of contemplative hand-drawn color postcards (“Get Off the Internet”) and Alex Hilsee’s show DIY-ers Unite! The exhibit f the many offspring of print features works by local and out-of- delightful black-and-white drawings technology, the zine remains town zine-makers and is being pre- (“A Baba Yaga Gaga Christmas one of the most vital and interesting. Story”)—are small enough to be sented as a preview of Chico Zine Thanks to the ubiquity of desktop posted on the wooden columns that Fest, a day featuring zine creators, printers and the vendors, speakers and workshops at frame the entryway of the space that affordability of story and was once a home. Blackbird Sept. 28. photocopying, photo by Other drawings and paintings in The festival and the current even those with Carey frames cover the walls and dot the exhibit are the brainchild of artist Wilson relatively limited Kristy Moreno, a So Cal transplant end tables of the gallery proper. funds can craft Of course, there also are the who was inspired by Blackbird their visions into Review: zines themselves, each a selfwhen she moved here to attend publications that DIY-ers Unite! shows contained art show. Those curChico State last year. “[I] started can be produced through Aug. 31. rently on offer at Blackbird cover a checking out their books and for little cash Reception Friday, wide range of topics and aesthetic noticed that they had a zine selecoutlay. The zine Aug. 23, 7-9 p.m. tion on the shelves. I thought it was approaches. On one end of the specAlso, next month: is thus a do-itChico Zine Fest, Sept. trum, there’s “Housing for All, super rad that they actually had a yourself artform/ 28, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. How We Made It Happen,” a phozine library, and [I] knew that the outlet available zine world must be alive in Chico,” tocopied and stapled collection of to those with an Blackbird kids’ drawings produced by a chilMoreno said by email. 1431 Park Ave. urge to examine 433-1577 dren’s workshop given by the North After receiving encouragement and express their facebook.com/ from Blackbird to pursue a festival, Valley Childcare Collective. And points of view in blackbirdchico on the other end is the well-known, Moreno contacted Aimee Murillo, print without havprofessionally typeset and designed a friend who organizes the OC ing to depend on “Razorcake,” an impressive music established commercial mechanisms. Zine Fest in Orange County: “We spoke she gave me some wonderful zine full of essays, interviews and With distribution often being as commentary on the current state of advice on so many aspects to runmuch of a challenge as creation, DIY punk music. ning the event, and said that I was venues like Chico’s Blackbird—a Anyone interested in humanistic, already on a great start being that I combination community meeting rather than capitalistic, art should had landed the location already.” space, cafe, gallery and bookstore With the ball rolling, ideas began make their way to Blackbird for the specializing in nonmainstream literexhibit’s reception this Friday to coalesce, including the addition ary and sociological works—are (Aug. 23) to experience local perof the preliminary art show. “This vital to the dissemination of such idea snowballed into not just includ- formers Scout, Calvin Black and small-scale endeavors. And for the ing zine-based artwork—which can Leonel Castillo-Ferreyra offering month of August, in addition to its include photocopied, paper-based art musical examples of the aesthetic to usual selection of zines, Blackbird complement the DIY show. and collaged artwork—but is open Ω also will showcase the group art
Zinesters unite
O
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