A year ago, Southern student Daniel “silencio” Ramirez, ’25, then a junior at the university, was chosen by the New Haven Arts Council to receive a $20,000 grant as part of The New Haven Artist Corps, a new program to encourage local artists to create projects that directly impact the city of New Haven.
Ramirez (he/they) is a first-generation Salvadoran-American artist based in New Haven. Through painting, printmaking, and D.I.Y. self-publishing through zines, they explore themes of memories and nostalgia through the lens of play, love, identity and more, both within the past and present day. Their project, El Rincón de Papel (The Paper Corner), is a community zine resource and zine distro aimed at supporting marginalized (QTBIPOC, immigrant, low-income, etc.) creatives and zine makers. Through workshops, collective gatherings, free-of-cost printing and art supplies, they encourage individuals to use paper to amplify their collective voice and personal narratives.
The Arts Paper reported on a recent zine workshop Ramirez held on campus. Attendees arrived at the Buley Library location to find two tables full of craft supplies: a colorful assortment of markers, sheets of construction paper, stacks of old magazines, scissors, and glue sticks. Before the zinemaking began, Ramirez gave a presentation on the historical background of zines and discussed the power that zines can have for a community, particularly those that are marginalized or oppressed.
“Zines, as much as they can be a personal expression, can always be used to disseminate information during social movements,” Ramirez said, inviting participants to get a hands-on look at finished zines displayed on a back table.
Read the Arts Paper story here: “Zine Workshop Centers Poetry, Power & Potential Of The Page” | Nelani Mejias | April 22nd, 2025
