Caldera Magazine

Caldera Magazine is a new, print, and online publication aiming to provide a genuine solution to the lack of representation within the arts and creative industries by focusing solely on people of color and the queer communities. I founded Caldera out of frustration upon realizing I was consistently one of the few brown people in the room, and seeing first-hand how intimidating the arts can be, simply because they are (to be frank) not always welcoming to all.

Using a print and online publication to be the catalyst for this change came about for two reasons: my love of print media, and recognizing the need for a platform that grants full access to creative expression and ideas. Each issue invites artists and creatives to explore various social issues and conversations through their respective mediums.

The arts industry is a pocket of people who so dearly value the concept of openness, self-expression and a host of conceptual ideologies that, from the outside, it appears to be a haven for creativity and the acceptance of all types of people and their individual ideas.

While this is true for some, it is far from the truth for others.

The lack of representation is an issue across industries, but an issue that seems too, curiously so, silo communities within the arts. It is important to have adequate visibility of groups that are too often overlooked or tokenized, not just to be seen, but to inspire and encourage others to pursue their dreams or artistic pursuits. To know that being an artist or a designer or chef, is absolutely a viable career option, despite not having been taught as such.

Is Caldera the end-all cure to centuries of white-washed museum spaces, art galleries, performance halls, and art schools? No. I didn’t set out for it to be, either. What I want is to put my nose to the ground and do the work that needs to be done on the grassroots level, with the hope that Caldera will impact a larger change within the Philadelphia (and beyond) arts community by way of example rather than another cultural competency workshop.

It’s hard to believe but Caldera is quickly approaching its third birthday and in celebrating what's been accomplished thus far, I’m planning to make significant changes to elevate the magazine and the content within it. I am hoping to raise a minimum of $5,000 over the next month as this level of funding will help us cover production fees, pay our POC/2SLGBTQIA+ artists market rates, and help us execute our IRL events and art shows to further spread the Caldera message and build a welcoming community.

What does that look like exactly? Glad you asked, let me walk you through it -

Production Fees | We produce an incredibly high-quality publication, on average our magazine is $16.70 per unit to print at our local, independently owned print shop.

Contributor Compensation | Each writer, artist, and contributor to our magazine works hard, because of their dedication, work ethic and the fact that POC and Queer creatives are already coping with a pay gap, we want to be able to compensate them at market rates - which can vary anywhere from $30 to $600 pending the volume of work.

Programming & Activations | Bringing our community together for educational events like our Philadelphia Inclusive Arts Festival, or to celebrate emerging artists first solo show during our Summer Exhibition Series, is a crucial component of our operating structure. These events not only generate some type of revenue for us outside of the physical magazine, but they are an opportunity to provide a safe space for our readers to connect.

Operations Budget | My incredibly small, resourceful team has been working almost entirely as volunteers. We believe in the work we do, and we’re happy to do with little to no pay - but getting paid would, of course, be dope. While most of this funding goal will go towards production, and contributor fees, a small portion will go towards a general operations budget.

The proceeds of this fundraiser act as a jumping-off point for Caldera Magazine to gradually expand from a passion project into the mission-based media company it’s slowly growing into. With your support, I’ll be able to cover these costs, without breaking my small, very fragile bank, while also helping me plan for what’s next.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read a little about us, your support is more than appreciated!

Peace and Love,

Zoë Rayn