Communal Support for Zine Fests and Art Fairs

We live in a society. We are currently in the midst of a cultural revolution. With the advent of technological advances, older forms of media and communication become obsolete. This has a cultural impact that is felt on multiple levels. Economically, it can be devastating to individuals whose jobs have been redefined or phased out. These individuals must find new, or innovative, methods to maintain the profits of their skill sets. This rebranding enables new opportunities for some, but for others it brings forth the question of how one adapts to and survives in our capitalist system..

Whether an illustrator or writer, these artists have historically relied on print media for exposure and profit. It has generated a culture that moves beyond picture books and graphic novels. Many of these artists don’t have financial support to publish their own work, and turned to a form of DIY publishing known as zine making. Zines have been in rotation in American culture for decades where they often served as political pamphlets or as an introduction to counter culture movements. Like their colleague, books, zines have the ability to influence readers who may not have access or exposure to rhetoric and imagery due to locale or oppression. They’ve provided a medium of confirmation and solace for both the creator and the viewer.

Two events on opposing coasts exist that both attempt to expose the intersection of artistry and profit for artists who create zines and also those who are published in books. The San Francisco Zine Fest, which is held annually in San Francisco, California, and the Printed Matter’s Annual NY Art Book Fair. These events both present an opportunity for artists and creators of multiple disciplines to present and observe works of a shared cultural aesthetic. They both have origins in the culture of print media; yet differ in their audience and cultural influence. I am interested in the juxtaposition these two seemingly similar events have on their shared culture as it relates to the economic sustainability of the artists and their communities.

Zine Fest, as it’s known in its almost two decades long existence, began as a part of a larger exhibition called APE, or the Alternative Press Expo. APE was a convention for independent artists that was run alongside Comic Con until 2014. Originally operating as just a feature of APE, having been hosted in what was dubbed “Zine Alley”. After 2015 Zine Fest separated from APE and officially established itself as the San Francisco Zine Fest finding a home in the County Fair Building. Running off the strength of its history with APE, Zine Fest evolved into what were initially a few tables in Zine Alley, to now include multiple sections for different genres and styles. Existing in an already niche subculture, Zine Fest thrives off of its locations in the bay area. A region that is ripe with creatives of all mediums that has an engrained history of activism and radical movements. Both participants and attendees to Zine Fest range from artists who work full-time tech jobs and craft zines simply for pleasure and not profit. To full-time artists who just want to be expressive and contribute to the culture. One commonality that these two distinct groups share is the acknowledgement that zine making isn’t a get rich quick opportunity. Many of the artists are aware that even in selling their zines, usually $2 per copy, they won’t recoup the finances they put into the creation of their zines. Almost all are aware that they won’t even break even on the cost of renting a booth at Zine Fest, usually costing $90 per table, but are committed because they want to support the culture and community.

Zine making is a self-effort by artists to promote work they handcrafted and curated giving them an opportunity to display their multidisciplinary skills. Many zine makers have a range of skills from illustrators, cartoonists, writers, poets, musicians, and even activists looking to spread their rhetoric. Zine culture houses multiple subcultures and genres. It serves as an intersection for the discussion of issues relating to members of the lgbtq communities, politics, race and ethnicity, and culturally relevant social issues. It’s a reflection of its origins and influence from conventional printed media. Even in an era where many forms of print have moved online, including some zines, there still exists a community that engages in and is embracing relatively dated forms of expression. It is evident that even with evolution, expression doesn’t completely become void of it’s origins.

Created by New York based artist AA Johnson in 2005, the New York Art Book Fair (NYABF) presented by Printed Matter’s is a contemporary cultural gathering for artists and creatives from around the world. The event hosts over 300 presses, publishers, booksellers, dealers, artists and even zine makers. It features various special programming including the Contemporary Artists Book Conference, as well as other special exhibitions. The event has evolved over the years since its inception, and has even expanded outside of NYC where Printed Matter’s also hosts an annual Los Angeles Art Book Fair. Serving as a gathering for multidisciplinary artists, with a focus in contemporary arts, the event has distinguished itself for serving a culture that has evolved with the technological advances of this era and has even learned to utilize and market off of it.

Hosting an event in New York City is a daunting task that speaks to the wealth of resources and capital expected of the Printed Matter’s team. Not only are they responsible for reflecting the culture of observable art trends through the work presented, the associating events of the function also serves as a presentation of current trends in contemporary art. As a parade of arts, fashion, performance, and books, this positions them as a platform for multiple different groups who portray their voice and artistry through their work. With an international audience, while residing in one of the world’s art capitals, NYABF generates millions in dollars of capital for not only the artists involved but also for its host city. It’s an event that reflects the diversity of the multiple disciplines it displays and the wealth of its participants. The event is marketable to art collectors and trendsetters; rendering its influential reach beyond the web of most festivals.

With participants from around the world, the event is a multicultural gathering that generates exposure for a wide array of creative people. Every year the event grows, and with that growth comes more innovation and advancement. Participating artists return because they recognize the exposure the event provides for not only them, but for the countries and cultures they represent. The conferences and lectured events contribute to the intellectual curiosity of the community, and are also conducive to future growth of the event. NYABF is capable of cultivating an organic event that generates publicity for itself, the artists involved, and the city that it resides in.

When talking about creative cities and how they contribute to artist communities, we must also discuss how capital is generated for residents of these communities and also to the participating artists. In “From Creative Economy to Creative Society” Mark Stern discusses the inequality that arises when art culture generates revitalization in communities. More specifically he touches on the “winner-take-all” labor market, wherein the most talented benefit from the booming economy. When we compare the two events, SF Zine Fest and NYABF, we can acknowledge that one group is profiting more than the other. Though both groups consist of talented artists with innovative ideas, because of location, social capital, and the prestige of NYABF, these artists stand to profit more than their west coast counterparts. The artists of the NYABF are also pushing and producing work at a higher level, which grants them access to more capital. While the artists of the SF Zine Fest are contributing to the sustainability of their niche culture, the artists of the NYABF are contributing to the sustainability of multiple disciplines on an international level.

Though both of these events are free to the public, the residents of these two cities benefit from these events on disproportionate levels. For NYC residents, they reside in a metropolis that is already culturally rich with arts and through taxation feel the impact of the arts in their public services. They also gain the privilege of having access to these culturally unique events that other cities around the world will never experience. SF residents also reside in a culturally rich region, but because theirs doesn’t hold the cultural significance as NYC and because the SF Zine Fest is a niche event, they aren’t monetarily benefitting from it. In “The Creative City: Moving From Ideas to Planning Practice ‘’ Antonina Simeti references how in our post-industrial era, creative capital is represented by the transition of ideas and expressions of creativity into commercial value. The artists of SF Zine Fest are focused on the artistry of their work, rather than the value, reflecting their interest in preserving their culture rather than capitalizing off of it. The result is that the event provides cultural engagement and empowerment to members of its diverse community.

Both of these regions have benefited from bohemian culture and gentrification. Because of its systemic and politically driven urban decline and revitalization, and also the financial capital and artistic history of the region, NYC is able to host an event like NYABF. As noted by Richard Florida in “Bohemia and Economic Geography” eclecticism and inventiveness are important components of city life. While San Francisco is experiencing its own revitalization thanks to the tech boom, it does not compare to the years of revitalization and the conscious efforts that developers put into first Manhattan, and more recently the surrounding boroughs. Their efforts enabled cultural growth in a city that was already booming with rich culture and creative capital. This enabled NYC to evolve into the cultural metropolis it is today, and in the process granted it the ability to host events such as NYABF. Both events serve to benefit the artist and participants involved, and help to preserve art forms and careers that due to the advancement of culture may one day be nonexistent. Going forward, the focus needs to shift to how these events can contribute to supporting those on the margins rather than contributing to gentrification and wealth disparities.