KCC’s art and literary journal, Mosaic, is accepting submissions now for the upcoming spring edition.
Mosaic is a student-led art and literary journal published each spring semester. With the fall semester coming to an end, students are encouraged to send in their entries for the magazine.
Submission guidelines and instructions for art and writing are online at https://sites.google.com/view/kcc-mosaic/home. Art entries require this Mosaic Art Entry Form. The deadline to submit is Feb. 23.
Art Professor Heather Stratton, who has helped directly in the creation of the magazine, said Mosaic accepts a wide variety of artwork, including all varieties of photographic works, paintings, drawings, mixed media pieces, graphic design and digital illustrations.
“All artworks that are reproducible in a 2D format are accepted for entry,” Stratton said. “Theme or concept of the artwork is completely up to the individual. The Mosaic is all about showing off individual and diverse talents in our community.”
Just like the art form it was named after, Mosaic is a combination of artistic and literary works strung together to create a whole piece.
As an artist, it’s a good idea to strive to get one’s name out there, and getting published is a great accomplishment for students to add to a job resume or school application. Professors who have helped work on this magazine in the past encourage students to submit their artwork.
“There is nothing to lose!” Stratton said. “If you are on the fence about whether or not to submit something, the answer is yes! Do it!”
Retired KCC professor Dr. Elizabeth Kerlikowske said students should submit so they can learn the process.
“Don’t we make art to communicate? I always love it when people tell me they saw a poem in some publication,” Kerlikowske said. “The college advisors for literary magazines have always had a positive experience with one when they were students. It’s a labor of love to carry on that tradition.”
English Professor Matt Samra said, “It’s rewarding to see something you wrote and labored to shape and refine eventually reach a larger audience. Oh, and copies of the journal make great stocking stuffers.”
Literary journals are an important contribution to colleges as they provide for students a way into professional art and writing communities, allowing them to make a name for themselves, gain experience to prepare them for bigger magazines and opportunities, and build confidence in their fields before stepping out into the world. Not only that, but literary journals are here to provide a deeper look into humanity through art.
“Using language to communicate in a way that is inventive and that also captures something both unique and universal about the human experience is ultimately one way we feel connected to other people,” Samra said. “Good writing – whether it’s a short story, poem, play, movie script or essay – should also remind us what it’s like to feel alive and to have empathy for others.”
