Feast Magazine Lets Oxy Art and Literary Talent Shine

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Author: Tara Daley

On Sunday, April 25, Mullin Gallery was abuzz with appreciation for student art as Feast Arts and Literary Magazine held its long-awaited release party. With selected readings of published works and walls studded with featured photos, paintings and prints, the event was an ideal celebration of the publication’s upcoming April 30 release. Part of this past week’s comprehensive Spring Arts Festival, the evening event was small but well-received by a group of approximately 50 supporters and participants.All of the art featured in the publication was on display in the gallery; from sculptures to paintings to silkscreen prints, the art curated was diverse, contributing to the overall high caliber of the magazine’s selections. Though the release party was casually structured to allow time for browsing and admiring the art, 30 minutes were devoted to readings of poetry and prose.

Feast staff members, winners of the English and Comparative Literary Studies department’s literary contest and other contributors read excerpts from their works to be published in this year’s issue. These eight student readings offered just a partial glimpse into the magazine’s literary talents.

The gallery release overall fostered excitement for the publication, for the art and for the artists.

“It was inspiring to hear the writers give voice to their work and to see the art up close. You get a different sense of the art that way,” Feast contributor Jordan Aura-Gullick (senior) said.

Though this yearly publication, showcasing both visual and literary arts, has been part of Occidental’s creative repertoire for years, the magazine and its practices have undergone some significant changes in the past few years. In the 2008-2009 school year, the magazine changed its name from The Occidental Review to Feast, reverting back to the name used over 20 years ago when the club’s adviser Valerie Savior ’85 wrote for it as a student and when President Barack Obama himself submitted poetry.

In the past, the magazine was a published outlet for students in creative writing classes, but under the leadership of Editor-in-Chief Molly Quinn (senior) and Managing Editor Conor Anderson (junior), the magazine re-evaluated its submission standards and structure, seeking more student involvement and outreach. In addition to this increased publicization, Feast also placed a stronger emphasis on student artwork. “There are more pages, more art . . . it is more comprehensive,” said Layout Editor Florence Emily Roth (junior).

“The magazine has really transformed in the three years I’ve been involved with it,” Anderson said. With 75 art submissions and 200 literary submissions, the staff had an extensive body of works to choose from. Though only 20 art pieces and 15 literary works were published, this high level of interest is a hopeful indicator of future success and expansion.

“I think the magazine this year was not only a great way for students to put their talent and creative perspective out into the community right now, but it is also in itself an interesting editorial and archiveable piece that represents the state of the arts at Occidental in 2010,” said Jackie Steele (junior).

With Anderson as their senior adviser, Steele and Chelsea Kellogg (sophomore) will take over as editors-in-chief for the 2010-2011 school year. With this year’s promising upcoming release as foreground, they hope to further expand Feast’s presence on campus next year. Kellogg elucidated this point, expressing the publication’s desire to reach out to the campus community and inspire an embrace of the arts. “Creativity is a vital part of life and I want there to be a place for that on campus . . . Without Feast, the avenues for creative pursuits would shrink enormously.”

Additional reporting by Danielle Sherman.

Feast was not yet available for guests to view at Sunday’s release event, but will be distributed in the Quad and at the library beginning this Friday, April 30. For more information, visit feastmagazine.tumblr.com.

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