Two-part workshop - January 10 and 24, 2026
Come make a zine!
What’s a zine?
Zines are a platform for joy, freedom, and creativity. Zines are self-published books/booklets, a form of outsider art — including but not limited to collage, visual art, photography, poetry, narrative writing, all of the above or something else entirely. Zines have also been used by activists to promote and disseminate dissident political information (including The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, women’s suffrage leaflets, The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx, etc.), as well as by artists and writers who use zines to distribute their work outside of the mainstream publishing world.
How do you say it? It’s pronounced “zeen” like magazine or fanzine!
Can anyone do it? YES — but this workshop is geared for teens and beyond.
Should YOU do it? YES!
This workshop includes two sessions…
Session 1 (January 10 from 1-4pm) - 3 hours to learn about zines and their history, including time to browse and read a sampling of zines to find inspiration. There will be a facilitated brainstorm session, then we’ll explore, create, and play with zine-making materials. This session will also include information on planning for production and tips for digital creators. BONUS: Pep Talk on Perfectionism by a Recovering Perfectionist!
Session 2 (January 24 from 2-3pm) - Two weeks after our first session, we’ll meet up for an hour-long check-in and zine swap! That’s right, you’ll be bringing along a copy of one of your zines for each participant to take home.
Cost for both sessions - sliding scale $25 - 75
Space is limited to 15 folks.
A materials list (including what’s going to be provided) will be emailed to registrants in advance of the workshop.
Register - https://tinyurl.com/zineworkshopME / emall Iris at irisdeichenlaub@gmail.com with questions
About the instructor
Iris Eichenlaub is an artist and writer who started a zine last spring called Small Amusements, published nearly weekly, on a variety of topics that she feels like writing about. Volumes include: “Ideas for Parties for People Who Don’t Like Parties”, “Chickens I Have Known”, “Recipes for a Few Things”, “Love Notes / Ephemeral Communications”, and more. Her readership is 45 households.
Iris studied Russian Studies at Reed College, then fine art at Greenfield (MA) Community College and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, before taking a major hiatus in her educational journey to have a family. Once she got back to school, she graduated with her ILS from University of Maine (Augusta), then her MLIS at San Jose State University, and finally a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from University of Maine (Orono). A former k-12 librarian and educator, Iris teaches online as an adjunct at UMA in the library science program. She’s a passionate knitter, knitwear designer, and knitting instructor, a marketing/communications writer, and she leads knitting retreats around Maine (and someday, beyond!) with www.gather2knit.com.