Museum Leaders in Training 2021-22
Identity & Representation
Single page from t hin gs as o f l a te by Helena-Olivia Tambakakis, 2021
This year’s Museum Leaders in Training (M.LiT) program focused on themes of identity and representation. Students explored their own relationship to these themes by creating personal “zines,” small, self-published magazines. The students’ zines and select images are featured digitally below.
In preparation for their projects, students explored the issues of identity and representation with guest artists and art activists from the community as well as the VMFA’s chief diversity officer. They also met with various experts, including staff from Studio Two Three and VMFA’s Margaret R. and Robert M. Freeman Library, to learn about the history of zines and their production methods.
In addition to their individual projects, M.LiT students worked together with VMFA staff to design and develop the Lettie Pate Evans Start Space at the museum, centering on the themes of identity and representation, which is expected to open in April 2022.
What is a zine?
The word “zine” is shorthand for magazine and tends to refer to self-published works of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced in a booklet form via a copy machine. Zines can be constructed in many different ways, including illustration, photography, collage, or any other form of combining words and imagery. Zines tend to cover a vast range of topics from music and art, to politics, humor and personal memoir.
Learn to make your own with this zine lesson plan.
About the Museum Leader in Training program
Held annually, the Museum Leaders in Training program introduces participants to a variety of careers in the art and museum setting. Each group of participants focuses on a unique project related to the museum’s collection while gaining skills in leadership, interpretation, writing, research, and project management. This year’s class included 23 students, representing 17 schools in the Richmond-metro region.
Museum Leaders in Training 2021-22 Participants
Christopher Austin, Mikal Banks, Sophie Bashioum, Sydney Brewer, Ella Brindley, Hadley Capshaw, Sarah Gann, Annabelle Glassman, Mollye Goldberg, Maggie Hessberg, McKenzie Johnson, Hannah Komulainen, Lautaro Lo Prete, Malena Lo Prete, Nija Lorde, Maya Marshel, Abigail Owens, Nikhita Saravanan, Virginia Swarr, Helena Tambakakis, Annabelle Teller, Kelly Trinh, Isabella Wagner
AUDIO AND VISUAL by Chris Austin
Christopher Austin
Auditory and Visual Influences in my work, 2021
Artist Statement: This zine outlines Auditory and Visual influences for my work. To add a nostalgic touch, I added cutouts from comic books I enjoy. As well as music, I added Music that inspires me because it greatly influences my work. I made this zine to represent for me how auditory and visual worlds are often intermingled into my life.
Mikal Banks
LAYER BY LAYER, 2021
Artist Statement: Oftentimes, one's definition of "identity" acknowledges what is superficial and lies only at the surface. Thus inspiring me to produce a zine that defines the complexity of identity and reveals its hidden layers. To me, identity is what one's self makes it to be and differs from one individual to the next. Throughout my zine, I applied this idea by cutting each page, each containing another layer of identity, shorter than the last to symbolize, as the pages are flipped, the peeling back of one's own layers of their identity.
Sophie Bashioum
NAKED, 2021
Artist Statement: This Zine was created as a message to myself. Each page a tribute to some small part of me. Throughout my life I've struggled a lot with being vulnerable. To me letting my emotion show made me feel weak, but with time I'm slowly learning that showing emotions is not what makes me weak, it's what makes me stronger. So when it comes to identify and trying to let it show throughout this piece, I tried to let a core part of me show. My feelings are one of the biggest parts of my identity that I try to hide and I decided the best way to break that habit is to show them for everybody to see. The emotion part of this piece wasn't the only hard part. Putting it together took a lot of work because I didn't really know where to start. I didn't know how to make it fluid or how to make a solid theme throughout they zine. So instead of trying to stick to just one part of me, I threw in a bunch of parts using different textures different mediums and tried to make things work.
HUMAN COMPLEXITIES by Sydney Brewer
Sydney Brewer
Human Complexities, 2021
Artist Statement: I created the zine, Human Complexities, in order to show the idea that no one fits into the stereotypical boxes our minds constantly try to organize the world around us into. No symbol, statue, or representation can truly capture even a single human being because of how complex we are created to be. That is why I decided to include more than one medium into my design in order to capture some of that complexity, starting with illustration then mixing in fabrics, newspaper clippings, and magazine scraps, finally going back to illustration but in a more whimsical fashion. This is showing how layered everyone’s mind, personality, and identity are and how identity and representation can't really capture who one or other of us is. Not one of us is simple so none of us should be judged as if we were.
ON BEING A CONTEMPORARY ARTIST WHO IS A WOMAN by Ella Brindley
Ella Brindley
On Being A Contemporary Woman Artist, 2021
Artist Statement: Inspired by the treatment of artistic women in the past as well as how they are treated now, my zine uses collage and mixed media to explore the label of "Woman Artist" and how I feel about it. Throughout the zine I used clippings from VMFA catalogs of artwork done by artistic women in their collection. I was interested in exploring this connection as I am both an artist and a woman, and I wanted to further understand how they complement and coexist with each other.
AGONIZING OVER ALGEBRA by Hadley Lewis
Hadley Capshaw
Agonizing Over Algebra, 2021
Artist Statement: Inspired by my love of art and my hatred of math as someone with dyscalculia, my zine uses newspaper clippings and magazine bits to create a conglomeration of flashbacks depicting my struggle with math and eventually, coming to the present where I am happy with myself and my own love of art despite the education system. To me, Identity & Representation is present in my difficulty with my learning disability before I am able to be happy where I am, knowing that my educational performance does not equal my worth. I applied this to my zine through my diverse range of supplies, starting with thumbnails and developing my ideas as I wrote out my first proposal for my zine.
Sarah Gann
Who Am I?, 2021
Artist Statement: I made my Zine to showcase who I am, as well as what I am. I used colored paper, patterned paper, and typed words and phrases to add life and color to my Zine. To me, Identity is who and what I am working together to make me unique and special, and Representation is connecting to people no matter who they are, and showing all sides of a story, not just one. I applied this to my Zine by showing my individual identity, and trying to connect my personality and views to the person reading it. Whether they agree or disagree with what I put in my Zine, I hope that they learn something and feel connected to me and others, because we are all human and all worthy.
LIFE LATELY by Annabelle Glassman
Annabelle Glassman
Life Lately!, 2021
Artist Statement: My zine focuses on the overwhelming impact of the pandemic on today's zeitgeist. I chose to design it in a random, stream-of-consciousness pattern to make it reflect my mental process- the way in which I think and therefore how much weight the topics have on my mind. The colors reflect my emotions- black and red at the beginning to reflect the ominous nature of the information presented, while later it becomes more hopeful. Identity and Representation as I view them has a lot to do with the time and space someone embodies, and this is one of the most significant aspects of life right now.
THROUGH THE LENS by Maggie Hessberg
Maggie Hessberg
Through the Lens, 2021
Artist Statement: Eye see you. While looking over magazines, one workshop, eye was inspired to create this collage seen on the cover of this zine. This sparked a vision to compare how one is seen versus how one views themselves. (Eye)dentity is ever-changing and fluctuates, as one grows, which is shown throughout this zine. Each page represents different scenarios in my life showing how eye feel and view myself compared to how other people may see me. Through each of our eyes, our lenses, we view the people in our lives, the situations we experience, the way we interact with our surroundings and the world around us differently.
IS THAT SO by Hannah Komulainen
Hannah Komulainen
Is that so?, 2021
Artist Statement: This zine was inspired by Wisława Szymborska’s poem, titled “Possibilities.” By mimicking the style of this poem, this zine illustrates the journey of self expression, both through words and visuals. There are many techniques and materials utilized in the creation of this zine. The contrast between reflective and matte surfaces add depth and curiosity to this piece- while certain details appear when illuminated, from a different perspective, they can seem to disappear. This quality aligns with my understanding of identity and representation in that they are ever-adapting with each change in perspective.
Lautaro Lo Prete
A Story, 2021
Artist Statement: Inspired by the act of telling stories, the zine I designed shows commonalities within story telling, like a drink of coffee or tea, familiar photos, and other details. My zine uses bright colors and unique patterns to make it something of itself. The zine demonstrates the theme identity and representation in many different ways, for example: the zine speaks about my identity, the identity of story, and the zine itself. While making the zine, I just added complimenting colors, coördinating patterns, and other fun details. To better achieve the look I was going for, I collaged with old magazines. The zine creates a way where I, the author, and the viewer can connect. There is a prompt for the reader in the zine; as a way to incorporate the individual identity of the reader and the identity of the author.
THE RECIPES OF IDENTITY by Malena Lo Prete
Malena Lo Prete
The Recipes of Identity, 2021
Artist Statement: To me, one of the largest influences on my identity, especially my cultural identity, are the recipes I grew up with and the food I ate as a child. Culture centers around tradition, art, and food - some of the most important aspects of human culture. In this zine I wanted to celebrate the foods and recipes I grew up eating, and how they pertain to my identity. Identity is something as unique as a family recipe, and its celebration should be as comforting and embracing as a home cooked meal.
Nija Lorde
Untitled, 2021
Artist Statement: The theme Identity and Representation inspired me to represent myself, as a black teen, in ways I haven't seen before. I created my zine with the intentions to inspire children of color, or to make viewers feel represented in how they present their self and their bodies, or to feel joy recognizing a song lyric or artist. I have chosen 5 songs and 5 images to feature in my Zine that truly represent the person I have grown to be.
Maya Marshel
Young Flower, 2021
Artist Statement: The world seems so huge when you are a budding flower. I discovered this through my many relationships with friends and feelings about those relationships. As well as through my own experiences and mistakes.
Abby Owens
Truly Me, 2021
Artist Statement: At the beginning of the year, we all got to look through past students' zines and I was inspired by many of the artists' collages. My zine brings the theme of identity into it, throughout the zine are many different lyrics that have really meant something to me and helped me express myself while growing up. Identity to me is how somebody expresses themselves and is the core of that person. Some of the items I used to make the zine were personal items of mine that show pieces of me are put in it, which is why the name is “Truly Me”.
Nikhita Saravanan
Intrinsic Roots, 2021
Artist Statement: Encompassing my cultural roots, my zine uses a myriad of colors and representations to illustrate my identity and the essence of who I am. To me, Identity & Representation is the various aspects of your heritage that contribute to your beliefs, morals, actions, and development. I applied this to my zine through depicting my passions, language, and traditions to explore who I am and what creates my identity.
A LOVE LETTER 2 CORPORATE AMERICA by Helena
Helena-Olivia Tambakakis
t hin gs as o f l a te, 2021
Artist Statement: Very inspired by Charlotte Ager, and her art capturing the parts of life around moments, I created this zine in the time after I got hit by a car, and how strange that time was for me. This zine reads more as a scattered collection of my thoughts and feelings throughout that time.
Annabelle Teller
Standards, 2021
Artist Statement: There are often many standards and stereotypes that come with different sectors of identity. For many years identity was hindered especially for women. For one to represent a “proper” women they were expected to follow many traditional standards that were unattainable and hindered their expression and personal self, my zine explores those antiquated yet present standards and how they should not be representation or make up of an individual and one is much more than a stereotype and should pave their own trail.
Kell Trinh
Tea Time
Artist Statement: My zine consists of drawings and sketches of various objects and people using oil pastels and colored pencils. The process of making this zine was inspired by objects and memories of my childhood. Identity and representation can have various meanings, but in my zine specifically, I focused on certain aspects that had an influence on my identity growing up.
On the third and fourth pages of the zine, there is a drawing of my school friends and me at the pond in the back of our church. The three of us attend a Vietnamese Sunday school, which has had a large impact on me growing up, as there were not many Vietnamese communities I knew of. This zine encapsulates all of the small and big things that have shaped me into who I am today.
Isabella Wagner
Who? You!, 2021
Artist Statement: Personally, I have no idea who I am, it's something I'm still figuring out. One thing I know for sure is that words good and bad have an impact on me, so I decided to take words that others have said to me that made me feel emotional. There are good and bad snippets of these conversations but I always think about them. The magazine clippings are things that I find interesting or enjoy so there's a personal aspect to my work. I involved bold colors and messy handwriting to contrast with some of the more formal backgrounds and because of this, it gave my zine an unbalanced feeling which is often how I feel. In this zine, I included cards that fold out, and some of them have some of the paintings at the VMFA on them which helps show that I'm a local artist which I really like.