Folding art into the campus experience
Bella Giancotta and Ali Moenck care a lot about Interfold. “I think I say interfold about 400 times a day,” says Moenck, managing editor of the nascent magazine. Clearly, this project is a labour of love for these enthusiastic Faculty of Fine Arts students who founded the publication. “It’s like an exhibition,” says a smiling Giancotta, editor-in-chief. “An exhibition ... curated within a magazine.”
Giancotta was perturbed when she discovered that McGill University, which has no fine arts department of its own, nonetheless had its own fine arts magazine. “We wanted Concordia to have one,” she says. “Sometimes group work doesn’t get seen (outside of class). It’s a great way to show off the Faculty of Fine Arts.”
The magazine derives its name from a collective brainstorm session between Giancotta and Moenck. “It’s an intersection of works and disciplines coming together,” says Moenck. “And in ‘fold’ we have the physicality of the paper itself.”
Interfold will feature, in full-colour, the works of current Concordia student artists. Released bi-annually beginning in January, each issue will explore a theme, beginning with Confines and Interiority, reflecting the movement restrictions that come with the winter season. “We want it to be a really polished publication,” says Moenck. “It will show the artworks to their full potential.”
Production on the magazine began in September and Giancotta and Moenck are already well on their way to meeting their first publication date.
“It has been less than 70 days,” says Giancotta. “We have accomplished a lot.” Interfold has assembled a team of contributors, coordinators, photographers and designers, all working for their love of the concept. “We put in a ton of our own time, and get paid nothing at all,” she says.
Not surprisingly, the biggest challenge they have faced, so far, has been financial. “We are very dependent on grants and fundraisers,” says Giancotta. “And a lot of our own money goes into it as well.”
When asked about paper versus digital distribution, Giancotta is insistent upon a print version. “We want to provide an actual publication for student works,” she says. “It will be distributed on campus … and it gives the artists the real experience of having their work seen.”
Both Giancotta and Moenck are aware of the eventual need to pass the torch. “I still have a year left,” says Giancotta. “We’ll find people who are interested by talking to them. It has been one of the most rewarding things … and maybe the thing that has driven me the most. It’s a great experience.”
Related links:
• Interfold
• Interfold on Facebook
• Interfold on Twitter
• Concordia Faculty of Fine Arts