EXILE’s art bookstore features an experimental selection of zines that plot histories, locations, and experiences alongside their collection of artists’ books available for purchase. Zines are small circulation, DIY publications that are easy to produce and distributed for a small amount of money. These publications engage all members of the community, providing an independent and accessible medium for people of all ages and backgrounds to amplify their voices.
While in residence EXILE’s calendar of programs and collaborative events will be zine-centric in exploring Miami’s independent histories. Onsite, EXILE will invite members of the creative community to host zine-making workshops that utilize HistoryMiami’s vast resource library and collection. Offsite, EXILE will extend its endeavors at HistoryMiami throughout the county, congregating audiences at public gathering points from from Opa-locka and Little Havana to Little Haiti and Coconut Grove to create zines that map their neighborhoods. Make sure to keep an eye out for a full schedule of happenings.
Ultimately, these efforts will culminate in the Miami Zine Fair at the HistoryMiami cultural plaza on April 30th as part of O, Miami Poetry Festival. The Miami Zine Fair will congregate over 100 local zine makers and independent presses as well as zinesters from Latin America and the Caribbean. A zine making area will be featured on the ground floor of the museum, available for free usage and demonstrations. Throughout the fair live printing; lectures; zine workshops in English, Spanish, Creole, and Braille; and multidisciplinary performances will take place, transforming the plaza into a social gathering point to experience and celebrate Miami’s independent print culture.
All zines created at the Miami Zine Fair and during EXILE’s workshops will be preserved within HistoryMiami Museum’s collection as to showcase Miami’s artistic offerings while simultaneously archiving its cultural legacy. To commemorate their residency, EXILE will also curate and publish these materials in artist publication available for purchase onsite.
