The Learning Zone

Two days of zines has come to an end. If you missed this year’s edition of the OCADU Zine Fair (or just need a reminder of some of the zines you encountered), here’s a photo gallery of some of the vendors who were at this year’s event…

Day 1:

Day 2:

The 9th annual OCADU Zine Fair is this Wednesday and Thursday in the lobby of 100 McCaul!

Stop by to see work by students and local zine makers including work by Sabrina Tu, Wenting Li, Danielle-Leigh Bogle, Christopher Morro and from collectives such as Grounders Magazine and the Okay Collective (pictured below).

The last installment of the Zine Library Workshop Series was the Embroidery on Paper Workshop, held February 28 and March 1. Like bookbinding, embroidery on paper has a long history in the arts and crafts. Embroidery on paper is a technique that involves weaving fine threads through pin pricked holes on card or paper.

Marta Chudolinska, the Learning Zone Librarian stitched her way through the workshop, providing step-by-step instructions including an intro to a library of embroidery stitches that would dazzle any D.I.Y. project.

Students learned 11 handy stitches—running stitch, back stitch, cross stitch, French knot stitch, satin stitch, split stitch, blanket stitch, fly stitch, cable knot stitch, double feather stitch and the whip stitch in order to create outlines, borders, decorations and fillings with their designs.

To get you started, here are two great embroidery titles from Marta’s thumbs up list: Reader’s Digest Complete Book of Embroidery by Melinda Cross and Artfully embroidered: motifs and patterns for bags and more by Naoko Shimoda.

The Zine Library Workshop Series: Hardcover Bookbinding, Linocut Printing and Embroidery on Paper, was a fun hands-on experience—discovering new techniques, tools and materials that can be applied to your next zine or D.I.Y. project.

Embroidery on Paper gallery:

The Learning Zone shares highlights from our night of readings by students within the OCAD U community with a few of the exhibiting artists from the TEXThibit Exhibition: A Visual Display of Creative Writing.

The reading event and reception was held Tuesday February 28.

Thanks to all the participants, the evening was enjoyed by all.

Manuela Morales video, After Darkness, is currently on view at XPACE’s External Space gallery located in OCAD U Library Services: Learning Zone.

After Darkness, is a video that touches on the emotional aftermath of sexual violence that occurred between two family members.

Morales uses a two-channel video, juxtaposing family emails with landscape. Capturing the tranquility of the landscape with audio bytes of birds, footsteps, and wind blowing through grass with email correspondence between family members. The back and forth online communication reveals to the audience the intricacies and uncertainties faced by the family as they work together and offer support.

The text in After Darkness creates a nuanced and honest conversation about the effects of sexual assault on a personal and collective level….Morgan Sears William

On until April 4