Rice Zine Fest creates collages

By Angelica Hernandez     2/25/25 11:43pm

Calming beats, the chatter of conversation and the smell of oranges hung in the air the evening of Sunday, Feb. 23, in Lovett College’s basement, dubbed ‘Lyle’s’. Magazines, scrapbook paper, art books and stickers were spread across a few tables, along with mandarin oranges. Throughout the night, students made collages and zines, noncommercial or homemade magazines, with supplies provided by Zine Fest organizers at Rice Zine Fest’s first event.

Attendees said they enjoyed using their creative skills to make something new, take a break from studying, and share with others. 

“My favorite part has been [because] I have a lot of work this weekend, getting to take a break from that and come here, listen to good music, and make all sorts of nonsense,” said Cory Voskanian, a Martel College freshman. 

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“I think it’s really fun that I get to do this with other people and share things,” said Sage Lee, a Hanzen College junior. 

The event is the first in a series of events that Rice Zine Fest is hosting to create an artistic community and interest for the group’s inaugural Zine Fest later this spring, said Naomi Doron, an event organizer and Jones College senior.

Amy Lam, an event organizer and Lovett senior, said the collaborative nature of the collage night makes it a great way for students to socialize. 

“When people craft together, they end up sitting next to people they don’t know and stir up conversation … When they have a creative medium or something to do with their hands, it makes it more comfortable,” Lam said. “We’re already starting to build the kind of community that we’re envisioning for Zine Fest.”

According to Doron, Rice Zine Fest emphasizes  self-made or community art forms. 

“I think that zines are just also a really important art form because it’s a very accessible form of art. Anyone can make it,” Doron said. “There is a very low barrier of accessibility in terms of cost, and in terms of making, you don’t need much skill, and zines have historically been used a lot underground ... It’s just a really cool form of art.”

Oranges sat on the tables alongside art supplies, and a sign on the wall instructed students to peel an orange and share it with a stranger. Some students even used the peel in their collages. 

“I feel like oranges are a universal love language … The concept of peeling an orange and sharing it with a stranger, everyone knows that language … To bring a ton of oranges and to have everyone peeling and sharing oranges is a way to form connection,” said Doron. 

Doron said that the organizers were inspired by similar events hosted by Houston artists.

“We went to the Houston Zine festival. It was such a special place that brought together artists from different corners of Houston, and that’s one of the first places in Houston that was such a special third space … After that, we were really inspired and wanted to bring it back to Rice in some form,” said Doron.

“We are all very fond of art, especially how art can function in collectives, communities, and friend groups,” said organizer Aiden Li, a Wiess College senior. “We think that’s something quite wonderful and something that we don’t often see at Rice, this sort of event with just zines and collages, which are very democratic art forms, everyone can do it … It’s collective.” 

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