Hicks selected as keynote speaker at UNT symposium

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Candace Hicks, associate professor of art in the School of Art at Stephen F. Austin State University, will be the keynote speaker at “From Artists’ Books to Zines” symposium Saturday, March 23, at the University of North Texas’ Willis Library in Denton.

“From Artists’ Books to Zines” is a new initiative from the UNT Libraries Special Collections in conjunction with its Biennial Artists’ Book Competition to provide students and other attendees interested in the book arts field an opportunity to connect with other artists and creators working in the medium. The initiative is design to foster engaging scholarship and discussion related to the field, explore and promote the reemergence of zines and their connections to the book arts field, and to honor and celebrate the participants and winners of the 2023-24 Artists’ Book Competition cycle, according to the symposium website.

During “From Artists’ Books to Zines,” attendees will have the opportunity to listen to curated panels related to the book arts featuring UNT and Texas Women’s University faculty, community organizers and artists; hear a keynote presentation with recognized book artist Hicks; view a pop-up exhibition of 2023-24 Artists’ Book Competition entries; take part in a collaborative zine workshop; attend the official opening of UNT Special Collection’s new browsable zine library; and attend the reception for the Artists’ Book Competition where winners and honorable mentions will be recognized and announced. The symposium is free to attend. Food and refreshments will be provided throughout the day, but registration is required due to space constraints.

Hicks creates interactive installations and artist’s books that examine gender, voice and parallel universes through the analysis of fictional literature. Her artist’s books are in collections at Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art New York, Banbridge Museum and Spencer Museum of Art, as well as in university collections at Harvard, Yale and Stanford. For more information about the artist, visit her website.