April is an exciting time for zinesters in New York City, as the now-massive Brooklyn Zine Fest returns to take over an entire weekend at the end of the month. The Zine Fest, now in its third year, will take place over two days at the Brooklyn Historical Society in Brooklyn Heights, and will feature the work of 150 writers, artists, and publishers from NYC and beyond. Whether you’re an avid zine collector, or aren’t even quite sure what a zine is, this event is designed to be a welcoming space for people of all ages, and from all walks of life.
Brooklyn Zine Fest organizers Matt Carman and Kseniya Yarosh
Photo by Steve McFarland via Brooklyn Zine Fest
The Brooklyn Zine Fest is organized by Matt Carman and Kseniya Yarosh, local zine makers who hope to amplify zine culture, inspire emerging artists, and prove that there is still great worth in the tangible written word. Explained Yarosh in a recent press release, “The Brooklyn Zine Fest is a way to discover ideas, subcultures, and personal experiences that can’t be found in mainstream publications, and which would otherwise be lost among everything else on the Internet. Zines are tangible, relatable, and most of them fit in a pocket – they’re perfectly portable slices of life,” of what makes zines and the DIY-minded artists and writers who create them so unique in this day and age.
In its first two years, the Brooklyn Zine Fest drew in massive crowds and showcased a range of zines made by people from New York and beyond. This year, the event has expanded to two days to showcase all 150 exhibitors, and will also feature panel discussions, and a special student section designed to shine a spotlight on the next generation of zine makers. The panel talks, titled “Queer & Trans* Zinesters,” “Collecting Zines (Libraries, Archives, & Collectives),” and “Anonymity,” are a fantastic addition to this year’s Zine Fest; not only can visitors wander throughout the event and support local zine makers, they can learn more about the culture and history of zine-making.
Photo by Steve McFarland via Brooklyn Zine Fest
Explains Carman, “Last year, people told us they were so excited by everything they saw at the Brooklyn Zine Fest, they were inspired to make their own zine. Some of those people are actually tabling for the first time this year, and we hope they’ll motivate even more folks to publish their own art and writing,” of how the zine festival continues to grow and take new shape. With more than one hundred zines featured, and panel discussions designed to expand the dialogue surrounding zine subcultures punctuating the weekend, the event certainly has something to offer everyone.
Learn more about the festival and check out the full roster of exhibitors by visiting the Brooklyn Zine Fest event website.
Brooklyn Zine Fest 2014
Saturday, April 26th & Sunday, April 27th
Brooklyn Historical Society, Brooklyn Heights
Free to attend, for all ages, and open to everyone.