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Fostering Community One Paintbrush at a Time: Hush Magazine

After a surprise rainstorm turned the Hush Magazine Forbidden Fruit Garden Party into an indoor get-together, I felt an immense sense of comfort in its environment of warmth and community. If you weren’t able to attend, The Hush Launch Party was a celebration of a new, student-led, and non-union-affiliated art magazine. The project is the product of a group brainstorm spanning the past two years and is finally coming to life thanks to a small editorial board led by third-year Kennedy Drolet. 


To learn more about the organisation, I spoke with Drolet and fellow third-year Addie Nelson. Drolet stated, “Hush is meant to foster open-mindedness and [is somewhere] where we can be vulnerable.” Her messages are mirrored in the official mission statement written in their first miniature 'zine that they handed out to all attendees of the launch. It shares, “Hush Mag is dedicated to the words left unsaid, the whispered conversations, and everything hidden in the locked notes of your phone… our mission is driven by love.”


Love and openness are exactly what each and every attendee felt as they walked up carpeted stairs into a cosy and extraordinarily inviting space. Decked out in twinkling lights and filled with chatter, the launch party provided a warm sanctuary on a chilly Autumn day. Candles, lanterns, and ambient music made the space feel immensely homely. There were small groups congregated in both the kitchen and living room sharing drinks and taking part in artistic activities. Considering the Hush team had to evacuate their garden location due to the imminent rainstorm, there was no indication that this was not their original plan. Drolet and her team did an incredible job embracing the warmth of their message and bouncing back from a very inconvenient setback.



 During the launch, guests were invited to paint whatever they wished, offered a miniature ‘zine, and were invited to write an anonymous confession for a future editorial piece in Hush. The ‘zine opened with a mission statement followed by an article on protecting one’s peace, a poem, and a crossword puzzle all revolving around the theme of secrets, anonymity, and embracing one’s body. Well-written, wonderfully formatted, and aesthetically pleasing, it was an anthology of excellent work. As the event progressed, friends, acquaintances, and passersby arrived, socialised, and left, allowing a steady flow of guests and fascinating conversations. 


Hush plans to host another event as a toast to their first publication later in the academic year during the Candlemas semester. If it emulates their launch party, it’s sure to be another great success. Hush Mag is a celebration of humanity and grassroots artistic creation. Building something out of nothing, the members of Hush are cultivating a community of inclusivity to celebrate the joys of being a creative. 



Photo: Izzy Sanok

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