Finding a piece of original artwork for under $100 is not an easy task, but how about for $0.50?
That's how cheap some independent artwork will go for at this Sunday's Pittsburgh Zine Fair, which features more than 50 vendors showcasing their work.
Zine, short for "fanzine," is a do-it-yourself (DIY) collection of self-produced stories, sketches, anthologies or photographs. Zines are purposefully made cheaply so artists and writers can get their messages out easily.
“Zine is about DIY publishing,” artist and fair organizer Maggie Negrete said. “It’s about sharing your voice and Pittsburgh has always had a really strong DIY scene. There’s lots of independent newspapers and publishers.”
The fourth annual fair will be held in the Union Project on N. Negley Avenue near Highland Park from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Attendees will get the chance to see the Mr. Roboto Project and Carnegie Library's zine collections, as well as hear music from local disc jockeys. Parents who want to look at the art alone can drop their kids off with the Yellow Bridge Childcare Collective, who will set up shop at the free event.
“You can come into the Union Project and spend the whole afternoon with us and not spend a single dollar unless you want to buy something from one of the artists,” Negrete said.
Negete said artists are encouraged to trade their zines at the small but growing fair.
“It inspires people that maybe didn’t think about publishing their work or didn’t think they could publish their work into trying this new format and sharing their own experiences,” Negrete said.
There will be a pre fair mixer Saturday evening at the Bunker Projects on Penn Avenue from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m for the public to meet vendors.
