Art Space: Sideshow Builds Community with a New Collection of Free Zines

Art Space is a recurring element in the UpFront section of our print publication that spotlights a local art project making an impact in the city at large. Here’s what’s going on this month:

There’s no shortage of souvenirs in the Sideshow gift shop of the American Visionary Art Museum. Pins, puzzles postcards. Whoopie cushions, wind-up teeth, and saint candles, featuring a celestial likeness of museum founder Rebecca Hoffberger. And now, in fitting fashion for a venue celebrating outsider art, there is also a growing collection of zines.

Part of a long-held counterculture tradition, including a vibrant scene in Baltimore, these low-budget, limited-circulation, self-published printings are works of art in their own right, offering resources and reassurances for times of need. Submit your own or snag some free copies by the cash register, with topics ranging from gardening and libraries to anti-fascist activism and the LGBTQ+ community.