Herrick District Library welcomes Chicano artist and educator Jaer Medina as Maker-in-Residence for the fall season.
Jaer works across photography, collage, sculpture and social practice, building his work with readily available tools. He tinkers with found materials, home printers and simple tools such as hammers and nails to create with paper.
During his residency, Jaer will teach people to create art by "bending" images and hopes to inspire a collaborative mural. A major focus of his residency will be the creation of zines. The residency will include a workshop, an artist talk and several drop-in sessions.
The workshop, called "Printer Play: A Small-Scale Publication Workshop," will take place Wednesday evening, Oct. 21. It will cover the history of zines and the creative potential of printers. Participants will then create zines of their own.
"Zine making allows us to create publications that highlight what's important to us. The tools are easy to access, so let's give language to what we value," Jaer says.
Advance registration is required for this event at herrickdl.org/events. Participants ages 16 and older may
register beginning Oct. 7.
Jaer will also host a talk exploring his work and its engagement with Mexican American identity from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23. During the event, Jaer will reflect on his artistic trajectory, tracing the experiences, influences and questions that have shaped his practice. Through a discussion of key themes, including cultural endurance, Midwestern Mexican American creative traditions and the concept of the "nevermade," he will offer insight into the ideas that drive his work. The presentation will conclude with time for audience questions and conversation. This event is free and open to the public, with no advance registration required.
During seven different drop-in sessions from Sept. 15 through Oct. 27, community members are welcome to stop by, observe Jaer at work and ask questions. Specific dates and times are available at herrickdl.org/events.
Jaer hopes people leave his events with a sense of curiosity about how objects in their immediate environment can be used as creative tools. Even if the work people create doesn't turn out the way they envisioned, Jaer wants to inspire experimentation. "Experiments sometimes fail, but trying something new always leads to moments of learning," he says.
Outside his visual art practice Jaer runs CREA, a community-centered art space and incubator exploring the role of art in public life through exhibitions, workshops, neighborhood newspapers and other forms of public programming. CREA serves as a space for play where young artists, established artists and people who don't yet identify as artists can coexist in a place that asks only that they be present and contribute. "Everyone needs the openness that art as a framework provides, even if not everyone is an artist," he says.
Jaer was born and raised in Holland and is a graduate of Grand Valley State University's Department of Visual and Media Arts. In addition to his artistic endeavors, Jaer serves as an instructor and program assistant at CultureWorks Transformative Art + Design Academy.