Artfully Learning Audio Series, Episode 5: Mishou

Usually when I visit my parents, my mother will lay out a variety of materials on the bed in my childhood room for me to take back home with me. Among the objects are recent articles related to the arts and archival materials and works of art that I made as a child and adolescent. 

During one recent visit, I brought back several years worth of MAD Magazines. I had subscribed to the magazine throughout my Middle School years. Prior to that, I was a long-time subscriber of Highlights. On reflection, I realize that publications played an important role in my artistic development. The magazines that I subscribed to were all multidisciplinary in their approach to engaging diverse groups of readers. Each combined strong aesthetic elements with informational text that was educational and inspiring, yes even MAD Magazine, as you can learn a lot from satire. Growing up reading these magazines shaped a large part of who I am as an artist, educator, and citizen of my community and the world at large. 

My guest on this episode is Milah Libin. She is an artist, as well as a magazine and art book publisher focused on bridging the gap between artists of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of artistic exposure. Her magazine, Mishou, highlights artists and readers ages 15 and younger, but is also just as essential and engaging for emerging, mid-career and established artists. The magazine features collaborations between generations, and interactive sections, and aims to validate children’s identities as individuals and artists, and encourage intergenerational engagement through the arts.

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