By Eva Kennedy, Social Media Manager
Conestoga’s literary magazine, The Folio, launched a new initiative this year. Called Mini Issues, or Minis, The Folio now releases compact magazines with less than 10 pages that highlight one literary and one art piece each month.
Minis not only showcase creative talent, but also provide insight into the minds of the authors and artists through a short blurb about the creator and their thought process for each piece. The Folio’s website URL is listed in all the Minis, enabling readers to explore additional features the magazine has to offer.
Junior Hannah Gupta, an art editor of The Folio, envisioned Minis as a creative project to nurture art and literature within the school community.
“We want students to feel pride in their work and get a little exposure and recognition for their creativity, talents and skills. So the Minis aren’t only for the artists that made them, but for anybody else who wants to share their work or even want to look at other people’s work,” said senior Chiho Jing, an art editor of The Folio. “It’s just another piece of literature or another piece of art to appreciate, especially since it’s coming from students of the school. It’s to build a sense of community.”
The Folio uses Adobe InDesign to create these Minis, which are then printed on a single piece of paper and folded to form a small magazine. The primary goal of Minis is to expand The Folio’s presence within the school, encouraging students to contribute to the creative community and bridging the gap between The Folio and the broader student community.
Senior Anika Kotapally, The Folio’s managing editor, describes these Minis as “teasers” for the larger issues and an extension of the featured pieces on The Folio’s Instagram. Kotapally said that any submission to The Folio is eligible for inclusion in the magazine and is taken into consideration for Minis. The Folio staff conducts a voting process for the best pieces, and features the winning literary and art work on Instagram and in the Minis.
Senior Jordan Jacoel, an art editor of The Folio, hopes the Minis will inspire artists in the community to share their works. She hopes that the community will appreciate the effort put in by The Folio.
“Many people don’t know about The Folio, and I think when people see these Minis, they’ll get a glimpse of the work we’re doing,” Jacoel said.
The first batch of Minis released the week of Nov. 27 and covered works in both October and November. The Folio planned to print 50 to 60 copies of Minis and distribute them throughout the school in common places like the library and atrium.
The significance of the Minis lies not only in celebrating the achievements of students, but also in encouraging other members to explore their artistic potential.
“It’s important to be creative yourself,” Kotapally said. “But it’s also important to see what your fellow students are making.”
Eva Kennedy can be reached at [email protected].
