“A picture is worth a thousand words,” or so the adage goes. You could, however, opt for a poem—Yours in Art would love to see either.

With their first zine successfully published in the winter of last year, Yours in Art is back with an up-and- coming second zine. The publication’s tentative release date will be spring quarter, and it is set to be even richer and more diverse this time around.
Two of the founding members, seniors Taylor Gawlik and Kaya Payseno, expressed their enthusiasm about the changes that will be showcased in this year’s issue.

Yours in Art members Axel Villa, Bailey Keogh, Kaya Payseno, Gabriela D’Elia, Emma McKee, Taylor Gawlik, Emma Scott, Nathan Watkins and Morgan Rodriguez.

“I believe that we’re going to do some color pages, which is really exciting because we have a bit bigger of a budget,” Payseno said. “Pieces we had to exclude before, because the integrity of the artwork would not be complete without color, now have a chance.”

What began as a student art collective has evolved into an interactive, welcoming community for artists of all kinds. Other founding members and Seattle University students Bailey Keogh, Connor Cook, Emma Mckee and Virginia McClure have also contributed to what the group is today.

“I think [Yours in Art] is very open and I like seeing everything they put on, from the zine to chill art shows,” said junior Avery Arjana. “It’s awesome to see the different types of artists they bring together.”

The zine is set apart from the other YIA events because members of the community interested in this mutual art experience do not need to attend an event in order to participate. Whether they create art or simply appreciate it for what it is worth, the team recognizes and values their support system and seeks to build stronger connections.

“It’s cool that we’re able to present [artists] with opportunities and that people are actually jumping on it,” Gawlik said. “It’s hard to showcase your work, and I hope that we provide a place to do that.”

Part of what makes the publication unique is that there has not been a set theme for either issue. Instead, the YIA team reviews each submission and tries to find a unifying, common thread for the zine.

“Asking artists to create work for a specific theme really deters them from it,” Gawlik said. “I think not having a theme really helps expand the potential.”

From the romantic to the very politically motivated pieces, YIA takes it all in stride. The group hopes to cultivate and hone a meaningful art presence while creating a space that feels safe and communal.

“The zine is pretty much an open expression,” Payseno said. “It’s special because it has an ability to express uncomfortable things.”

The YIA team is currently accepting photo, art and written submissions from artists. Unlike their first issue, in which every artist that submitted was accepted, the team might have to be more selective in the works they want to publish this time around.
“While our goal is to showcase as many artists as possible, a zine can’t get too thick,” Gawlik said.

The official call for art was announced on Jan. 20, with the deadline fast approaching.
“I wanted to get my poetry out there and I knew that other people whose artwork I really appreciated had been involved with Yours in Art,” said sophomore Rukhsar Palla, who has submitted work to the zine. “I wanted to be a part of it as well.”

The release location for this next issue is still to be decided. YIA has been in conversation with the Hedreen Gallery at the Lee Center for the Arts as a potential venue. They want a location that will be convenient for students, though YIA is not in conjunction with Seattle U specifically but rather with the Seattle community as a whole.
“Feb. 1 is the priority deadline, but if you’re a couple days late I would still try and submit,” Payseno said. “You never know, we just might be able to look at you.”

For more information, you can check out Yours in Art’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/yoursinart123, or if you would like to submit any of your own pieces, send them to [email protected].