Brooklyn Book Fest, Zines and More
Through Septmber 28: Brooklyn Book Festival, Borough Hall and Plaza
The Brooklyn Book Festival is less of a conventional convention and more of a beautifully chaotic living archive of independent print culture. As the city-wide "Bookend" programs gather steam across the boroughs, the main events happen over the weekend, on the historic steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall [abpve].
Saturday’s Children’s Day kicks off the celebration, but it is Sunday’s flagship Festival Day and Literary Marketplace where the visual and literary landscapes come alive. There, rows of tents become a bustling bazaar for indie publishers, text-and-image visionaries, and boundary-pushing printmakers. Click to see the online list of publishers and authors participating in the Brooklyn Book Festival online and then visit their booths in person at the free Brooklyn Book Festival on September 27th or on Children’s Day, September 26th. Click to see the enormous list of Bookend events, including the Friday night Indy Party at Greenlight Bookstore
A Focus on Zines: There is an inherently radical magic in folding a single sheet of paper, making a few strategic cuts, and suddenly holding a self-published book in your hands. Zine workshops strip away the traditional gatekeeping of the literary and design worlds, transforming any table with a scattering of scissors, glue sticks, and Sharpies into a community publishing op. Participants gather not just to learn a binding technique, but to swap stories, document niche subcultures, and claim agency over their own narratives. All it takes is a passionate voice, a copy machine and a crowd of like-minded people. Click for more. Click to see this year's official festival poster, illustrated by Jaque Jours—celebrating studious pigeons and hidden author cameos.
Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza, 209 Joralmon Street, Brooklyn, NY Map
Riso Hubs in Brooklyn
Secret Riso Club (Bushwick): This graphic design and print studio operates as a collaborative space focused on social justice and community building. They host an essential RISO 101: Intro to Riso workshop covering digital file prep and multi-color printing, alongside multigenerational zine jams and specialized format sessions. Located at 122 Central Ave, Brooklyn, NY Info
Lucky Risograph (DUMBO): This independent press focuses on affordable print production for local artists. They offer monthly group workshops ranging from custom notebook-making to holiday card printing, alongside intensive private sessions and open DIY studio hours for advanced makers. 20 Jay Street (Unit 217),Brooklyn, NY Info
Bigger Is Better: Book as Sculpture at el Museo
El Museo del Barrio presents Octopus & Others: Acts of Collaboration & Poetics, an exhibition inspired by a significant project from the museum’s history by artist, poet, and Exit Art co-founder Papo Colo. This accordion-style outdoor book composed of eight-by-four-foot plywood panels—created by artist, poet, and Exit Art co-founder Papo Colo— was first staged in El Museo’s courtyard in 1982. Presented here for the first time in more than four decades, Octopus & Others showcases the power of collaboration between artists and poets and of artworks that embrace and subvert the book form and its function. Above: The original installation on El Museo Plaza, 2003
Each “page” of Octopus was made onsite by an artist and/or poet invited by Colo. Participants included writers and poets such as Nicholasa Mohr and Pedro Pietri, alongside artists Vito Acconci, Tehching Hsieh, and Juan Sánchez, among others.
Through November 15th at El Museo del Barrio, 1230 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY Info
Paper Cuts | Independent Publishing in the US, 2000-2025
This exhibition plumbs the legacy of one of the most radical, subversive spaces in contemporary art: independent publishing. Curated by artist and George Mason University School of Art professor Christopher Kardambikis ikis, this expansive presentation gathers over 600 zines, artist books, and small-press treasures collected over a decade of dedicated studio visits and cross-country travel.
Walking into the third-floor Flatiron space, you are immediately confronted by the sheer visual power and tangible energy of a generation that bypassed corporate gatekeepers entirely. From Risograph-printed poetry to radical political broadsides, the installation masterfully blends historicized archives with a sprawling visual display, further enriched by thematic guest-curated tables from figures like Christina Long and Kyle Quinn. The show stands as a testament to the endless possibilities that lie within the art of the book.
Through December 12th at Center for Book Arts, 28 West 27th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY Info
Click and scroll down for info about the NY Art Book Fair at MoMA PS1