Whether she’s at a concert, DJ-ing for KLSU or just hanging out between classes, sociology junior Kate Gauthreaux surrounds herself with fellow creatives wherever she goes. She hopes to provide an accessible, inclusive outlet for her friends and other local artists to express this creativity with her zine, SWAMPASS, which will be released early next year.
SWAMPASS will be a self-published, locally distributed collection of art ranging from critiques of mainstream literature, multimedia art, recipes, playlists, show calendars and whatever else locals can conjure up in their submissions.
Named after the southern Louisiana colloquialism, the zine will focus on artists from the region — Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette and surrounding areas.
A website will accompany the zine to include art forms harder to showcase in a short pamphlet, like music and long-form stories.
Submissions opened last week and will stay open until winter break. The later deadline is intended to give artists — including herself — who may be busy with school or work time to develop their ideas.
Gauthreaux has already received 10 submissions, including art from Baton Rouge artist Raven Jones and an essay on injury lawyer Gordon McKernan’s prevalent iconography along the interstate.
Ideally, Gauthreaux wants the zine to feature works from people of all ages — not just college students.
“There’s always people who discover their craft really late in life, but it’s harder for them to get into institutions and establishments because they’re a little older,” she said. “I want them to get into this too.”
Gauthreaux initially planned to tackle all the logistics of creating the zine — branding, designing, printing and distributing — herself, she said. However, the project has quickly developed into a collaborative effort.
Gauthreaux’s friends Jordan Farho and Jack Flynn are helping her bring a more technical, design-based aspect to the project which will balance the whimsical, abstract art featured.
With the overflowing of creativity in her life, it is no surprise that Gauthreaux herself is artistically inclined. She sings, writes and even briefly played the accordion, but what she particularly loves about the arts is the human-centered aspect of them, she said.
“As much as I enjoy making art, my favorite part of it is sharing it with other people,” Gauthreaux said. “I love working with people and I love seeing what my friends have inside of them.”
Art has not only helped her express herself but has also given her a deeper understanding of others, she said.
“It’s so cool when you have a friend and you see the things they make and you’re like ‘I understand you so much better,’ or like, ‘I don’t understand you as well as I thought maybe,’” Gauthreaux said.
Those interested in being featured in SWAMPASS’ first issue can submit via email at swampassmagazine@gmail.com by early December.
Editor’s Note: Kate Gauthreaux is also employed by LSU Student Media as a DJ for KLSU.
LSU student to create multimedia zine, showcase local talent
By Kaylee Poche
September 25, 2017
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