What are zines? How long have they been here? What do they reveal about living in WNC—past, present, and future?
Through oral histories, archival research, and community co-creation, Belonging & Non-Belonging explores the soft power of zinemaking as a tool for community growth, autonomous memory-making, and the role of self-publications in institutional archives. Zines show us what it means to live here and what our community experiences and feels, from a perspective unclouded by profit or societal gain.
ZINE: (zēn) noun. a handmade self-publication created with the goal to share information freely without the pressure or limitations of profit, and to support the ideas, thoughts, and feelings of the writers and readers.
What's the Point?
Zines are "often motivated by a desire to share knowledge or experience with people in marginalized or otherwise less-empowered communities" (Library of Congress) The lives and experiences of the less-empowered members of a community are a strong reflection of the community as a whole. Marginalized voices are severely lacking in institutional collections, and these voices deserve to be preserved.
Local Makers
Jack Fischer
Warren Wilson College
Heather Sevcik
JR Rhine
Amy Boyd
Julie Ambruster
Maggie Small
Lex Turbull
Frances McDaniel
Miles Lamberson
Ami Worthen
Cindy Crabb
Doctor Delia
Lane Sycamore
Grace Crouch
AND MANY MORE!
The listed artists have been included in this exhibition.
When discussing regional zines, it is necessary to include independent newsletters. Despite their looks and larger print runs, local newsletters carry the same spirit as zines. They are small scale, not for profit, and exist with the sole intention of bringing together a specific community.
Asheville Zine Festival
Started in 2016 by Jessica White and Shawn Scott Smith, the Asheville Zine Festival has brought together the zine community here in Asheville.
Follow along here.
This exhibition was curated and organized by Miles Lamberson. He is the 2023 Carolina Record Shop artist resident, focusing on Zine culture and education. Thank you to Pack Memorial Library and the Buncombe County Special Collections for hosting.
Questions?
Contact lambersonmiles@gmail.com to get more information on the project