The premiere issue of the student-run visual arts magazine Rah Rah Arts has been released and feted! Editors Evan Haley ’24, Emma Mohrmann ’24, and Magnus von Ziegesar were joined by members of the Princeton community to celebrate its arrival.

Practice of Art majors Haley and Mohrmann and Visual Arts minor von Ziegesar saw a need for an inclusive publication. “The vibe that everyone who submits automatically gets accepted and everyone on campus is eligible is something that’s different from other publications and something we felt would be good for building community,” said von Ziegesar.

On the one hand, the group saw the magazine as a platform to showcase the work they saw in classrooms throughout the VIS building at 185 Nassau. But they also wanted to draw from the broader campus community. “We felt like a lot of the campus maybe didn’t even know what the VIS building is or what the VIS building does,” said Mohrmann.

Haley pointed out the value of spotlighting art from the corners of campus that don’t engage with art as directly. “I think it’s good to bring STEM departments into art-making space – including bridge projects or chemistry. I think that really shows the potential for their being an interdisciplinary understanding and respect,” he said.

Their efforts to spread the word throughout spring 2023 paid off. Submissions came in from undergraduate students, graduate students, alums, staff members, and faculty representing a variety of disciplines. As the magazine’s introduction says, “This particular issue presents work from Visual Arts students, an entire VIS class, bakers, professors, current and past fellowship recipients, and staff members ranging from carpenters to librarians.”

Putting together the first issue of Rah Rah has been a lot of work, but as its editors recover, they’re already welcoming submissions for the next edition. “Now more people know about it,” said Mohrmann, “It’s becoming more of a thing!”

Rah Rah’s editors envision the magazine carrying on indefinitely – and each has pledged to contribute work as long as it does. “In an ideal world, it’s a VIS tradition,” said von Ziegesar, the junior in the group committed to carrying on publication in his senior year. “We hope every year it shows the work of the VIS dept to a wider community and celebrates it,” he said.

The Rah Rah team is grateful for support from the Visual Arts, Art & Archaeology, and German departments, along with the Lewis Center for the Arts, the Council on Science and Technology, and the Humanities Council.