I first learned of the Feminist Pizza Party while scrolling through my Facebook feed and immediately it caught my interest – not just because the promise of free pizza is enough to make me leave my house, but also to engage with Miami’s young artists, feminists, and the fairly new organization, Exile Books. Exile’s current pop-up exhibition, Love! Rage!! Passion!!! The World of Zines, is located at YoungArts.
Also, see: SMKM presents Exile Books @ BFI
I arrived fashionably late and missed the first round of pizza (I was told they ran out within the first 30 minutes of starting), but there was a healthy buzz of activity taking place with several groups engaging with one another. The zine making workshop took place on the first floor and all materials were provided free of charge. You could skim through glossy magazines to tear out high fashion images or you could use copies of text from the pages of your favorite Feminist Canon to fill up your zine. It was a joy to see everyone socializing while enjoying the refreshments, and to witness young participants so focused on their creations.
Moving on to the second floor, guests had the opportunity to enjoy the “Love! Rage!! Passion!!!” exhibition, co-curated by Christina Favretto, head of Special Collections at University of Miami, and Amanda Keeley, the founder of Exile Books. Local and historical zines were on display showcasing the wide variety of underground publications, in addition to publications featuring YoungArts alumni.
Although the party was scheduled to end at 9:00 p.m., it was still packed towards closing and the venue was kind enough to let everyone stay until 10:00 p.m. More pizza was ordered (I somehow managed to miss the second round!) and everyone continued to pizza party the night away.
If the success of the Feminist Pizza Party is a precursor of events to come, then everyone should definitely keep an eye out for the next one. Exile Books may emerge as an alternative venue amidst Miami’s party landscape to become a safe haven for young adults to gather and engage in meaningful discussions about the world around them.
A big thank you to Sue Montoya and Lauren Monzon for hosting such a fabulous event, and a special thank you to Amanda Keeley for welcoming everyone to the space.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to grab a slice of pizza!
