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Cover of the spring 2016 issue of Art and Soul

The students of Honolulu Community College are bringing their own creative arts magazine back to life after more than a decade of darkness.

The full-color, 40-page magazine, Art & Soul, will be published this month and showcases the creative talents of students, whose skills range from traditional arts and literature to fire dancing and tattoo designs. A publication release party is planned for April 28, 10:30 a.m.–1 p.m. in the school’s student lounge.

The rebirth of the magazine, which has a lineage dating back to the 1970s, was a project of the school’s Student Media Board and a handful of dedicated editors who wanted to give their fellow students a chance to show their work beyond the classroom.

Showcasing student creativity

“When we first saw past issues of Art & Soul magazine, I thought this would be a wonderful idea to bring back the magazine after a decade. Showing student’s creativity would be a great way for them to be seen and heard through literature, photography, fashion, music, drawing/painting etc. We knew this would not be easy, but we dedicated our time and hard work to make this possible,” said Kiki Williams, editor-in-chief of the magazine.

Honolulu Community College library archives show that the tradition of a literary arts magazine, then called Trades, dates back to at least 1975, when the publication offered cutting edge literature, artwork and graphic designs produced by students.

By the early 2000s, the magazine had become Art & Soul and continued to give students a public outlet for their creative work. However, the magazine somehow faded out by 2005 and remained unpublished until this year.

The new editors began seeking submissions for the publication in fall 2015 and dozens of students responded with offerings of their best work inside and outside the classroom.

“We started with the idea of producing a traditional art and literature magazine, but soon realized that the creativity of the students took many other forms,” said adviser Mike Leidemann, an assistant professor of journalism at the school. “So we broadened the scope to include works from students, and even a few alumni, in fields like fashion design, song writing, cosmetology and carpentry, all of which are included in the magazine.”

Art & Soul is entirely edited by Honolulu CC students, financed through a student publication fee, printed by the school’s Design Center and expected to be available on campus and the surrounding community by early May, in time for the school’s spring commencement ceremony at the Waikīkī Shell.

—By Billie Lueder

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