Artist Spotlight | The Zine Zone
Photo by Mull Media
Can you tell us a little bit about your artistic journey? How did you first get interested in your medium?
The Zine Zone is an artistic venture that began as a quest for collaboration among 3 neighboring Summit Artspace resident artists - Rob Greer, Sr., Stephanie Stewart, and Kyla Decatur. As an artist, Robert Greer, Sr. is a versatile storyteller, who employs poetry, graphic design and photography to spread hope and inspiration.
Greer has over 15 years of teaching and instructor-led experience that expands across the fields of ministry, art workshops, and professional training. Greer has over 150 published works in Scene Representation Matters Project - Akron/Barberton Area. His works have recently been shown in 2023 Fall Akron Black Artist Guild’s Outline in Black and a solo exhibition in 2024 John Brown’s House. He has performed spoken word, and written songs. As an acrylic artist, Stephanie Stewart’s studio works are known to capture the strength and beauty of the Black American Woman and culture.
Stewart’s works have been featured in solo exhibitions 2024 Evelyn's Shop, 2023 John Brown House, and was shown in 2023 Akron Black Artist Guild Outlined in Black. She has public art installed with Akron's Kerr Park. Stewart is a registered teaching artist with the Ohio Arts Council and is actively teaching inclusive workshops involving unconventional ways of extracting creativity through the elements of art. Stewart is an active member for Women's' Art League of Akron, Akron’s Black Artist Guild, BE Arts Collective, and Artist of Rubber City. Focusing on the beauty of different perspectives, Kyla Decatur’s passion for pyrography and book arts, has introduced her art collection to be revered as idiosyncratic and abstract. Decatur has led paper-making demonstrations at the Akron’s Art Museum, and taught classes at Akron’s Boys & Girls Club, En-Rich-Ment Art Center in Canton, OH and Akron’s Public Library (Maple Valley Branch). Her works have recently been juried into Summit Artspace Fresh 2023.
Both Stewart and Decatur own and operate P31 Art & Design. Individually, each artist is moving through their artistic journey in true solo fashion, but collectively, they were able to merge their skillset to provide space and opportunity for the community to tap into their artistic side by way of the "zine". A zine is a self-published, 8-page booklet traditionally made from a singe sheet of paper. Formally known as "the little magazine", zines have been in print since the 1800s. The zine is an underrated art form, that can move between mediums and styles with just 2 base materials - paper and scissors. Greer, Stewart, and Decatur have designed the Zine Zone to capitalize on the simplistic and historic nature of the zine for creatives of all levels to gather and share their story in 8 pages or less.
What do you hope to convey through your art? Is there a message or emotion that you try to communicate to your audience?
Because the Zine itself is so versatile, it is our goal to enrich participants' understanding of art, spark diverse conversations, provide varied experiences inspired by nature.
Can you walk us through your creative process? Do you have any particular routines or rituals that help you get into the mindset of creating?
Each Zine Zone is curated to go beyond a traditional workshop. It is designed as a curated collection of gatherings united by a common color palette, theme, and/or technique. We hope to gently challenge participants to think beyond the blank page to develop a story that is reflective of themselves. The Zine Zone is more than a workshop, it is a creative state of mind that far exceeds that of traditional workshops.
What impact do you hope your art has on the Akron community? How do you see your work contributing to the larger conversation around art and culture in the city?
In accordance with the Akron Cultural Plan Priority 1 Equity, the Zine Zone has laid the groundwork for future workshop series and initiatives that seek to strengthen and bridge the gap between Akron's varied neighborhoods, harmonizing our influence in arts and culture as our city restores and expands new communities.
