Fieldwork Projects: Researching Latinx Zines
Mercado Merch, Perros D Rancho, n.d. Box 4, Folder 2, U.S. Latinx Zine and Graphic Novel Collection, Benson Latin American Collection, LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections, The University of Texas at Austin. Photo: Cesar Corralejo.
Opening Reception: Fri. Feb. 20, 3–5 p.m.
Researching Latinx Zines features research completed by students in Dr. Adele Nelson’s Printmaking in the Americas course. The course examines 20th and 21st century printmaking, including research and viewings in the tremendous collections of Black, Latin American, and U.S. Latinx art at UT—at the Art Galleries at Black Studies, Benson Latin American Collection, Blanton Museum of Art, and Harry Ransom Center.
The Benson’s U.S. Latinx Zine and Graphic Novel collection, acquired from 2017 to the present, includes Latinx zines, comic books, graphic novels, and poetry chapbooks dating from 1984 to 2019. The collection features the artists St. Sucia, Muchacha Fanzine, Colectiva Cósmica, Breena Nuñez, Stephanie Rodriguez, and Kat Fajardo. Archivist Carla O. Alvarez developed the research project, and she and her colleagues at the Benson made it possible.
Each of the members of the class, all undergraduate students at UT Austin, selected the zine(s) they would research and proposed subject terms for the Benson’s archivists to consider. This additional metadata will be incorporated into the collection finding aid and made available on the websites of the Benson and TARO (Texas Archival Resources Online). The students’ research will give future researchers greater access to this important collection of materials.
Students-researchers: Krish Bhayani, Cesar Corralejo, Ellie Davila, Sofia Gutierrez, Anjali Krishna, Annalise Lozano, Eric Petty, Caitlin Reimer, Gabriela Rodriguez, and Hannah (Zero) Wilkes
Zines in the Americas is organized by Dr. Adele Nelson, Associate Professor, Department of Art and Art History
Special thanks to Carla O. Alvarez, Latino/a Archivist, Benson Latin American Collection; Cristina Berron, Resident Archivist, Benson Latin American Collection; Maribel Falcón, Librarian for Latino/a/x Studies, Benson Latin American Collection, D Ryan Lynch, Head of Special Collections and Senior Archivist, Benson Latin American Collection; Dr. Claudia Zapata, Associate Curator, Latino Art, Blanton Museum of Art