Miami's first 'zine' fair attracts underground art scene

MIAMI – Most women wore high rise shorts and vintage floral dresses. Some had pink, blue and orange hair. There were tattoos of Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" and plenty of Native American feathers.

And amid this in vogue crowd at the Miami's first National Young Arts Foundation "zine" fair, there was also a group of students who are passionate about graffiti. They call themselves "The Witch Rat Collective." 

They were at the fair held Sunday in downtown Miami. For some, the event was an homage to self-publishing, which continues to grow in popularity. A member of "The Witch Rat Collective" said the "zine scene" is a form of artistic expression.

"We sold out and now we are just walking around looking at other people's work," she said, as she explored the nearly 50 tables lined up under white tents outside of the former Bacardi building on Biscayne Boulevard and 21st Street.

According to the event's Facebook invitation, about 1,200 attended. There was a D.J., live music, performances by Buskerfest Street artists,  The Lone Wolfe food truck and free Poetry Pops.

Commercial brands of granola bars and canned flavored waters were promoting their products. And with the help of The Knight Foundation, there were about 50 tables for "zine" publishers at the YoungArts plaza.

Inside the building at The Young Arts Gallery the "Love! Rage!! Passion!!! The World of Zines Exhibit" was up on the first and second floor until May 15. Artist Amanda Keeley, of EXILE Books, and University of Miami curator Christina Favretto organized the exhibit.

While newspapers continue to struggle with low advertising and subscriptions and book sales plummet, the audience for magazine media was up about 10 percent this year, the Association of Magazine Media reported Thursday.

Jacqueline Rios, also known as  Jacqueline Soir, said that unlike magazines, the "zine" is not part of an industry. Most "zine" publishers at the fair were selling their work, not because they were aiming for a profitable business, but because they want to make and promote art, she said.

"I use the Soir Zine to showcase the talent of other artists in Miami," Rios said. "I hate going into a bunch of blogs. A 'zine' is an easier more comfortable experience."

THE EXHIBIT: The Young Arts Gallery presents the 'Love! Rage!! Passion!!! The World of Zines Exhibit' until May 15.

It is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Friday at 2100 Biscayne Boulevard.

The local artist made about 50 percent of what she spent, but left with a smile. She said the event had a nice turnout and she was hoping that there would be more like this one in the future. She only had one regret, she said.

"I just wish I would have brought some of my prints," she said. "I noticed a lot of artists were selling more than their 'zines' out there."

ON THE WEB: View the "Hack-A-Zine" collection

Follow Local10.com reporter Andrea Torres on Twitter @MiamiCrime