“We are neon; we are bright and unafraid of our own brightness; we are unignorable; we are pointedly piercing to the senses; we will grab your attention and, once we hold it securely, we will tell you something worthwhile.”
So signifies the title of LACS students Esmé Saccuccimorano and Marlena Doerr’s new magazine, We Are Neon (WAN), which aims to “empower youth through the showcasing of their art, literature, music and various innovative endeavors.”
Mainly focused as a combat to ageism, the magazine seeks to present young people’s art as legitimate and valuable in society, even when compared to the art of older and professional artists. The first issue of WAN was published in August, and the magazine is planning to release another issue shortly.
Funding for an arts-based not-for-profit project like WAN is usually very difficult to obtain. Saccuccimorano and Doerr used GiveGab, a local organization that collects donations online. In addition, a community board (sourced with funding for youth endeavors from the United Way) awarded the project $500 after being pitched WAN’s sustainable business plan and mission statement.
This money propelled WAN through the printing of its first issue; however, funding future issues depends entirely on profits from the first. Saccuccimorano and Doer are selling buttons and patches as a supplementary income source, and hope to host community events designed to showcase youth art in an even more vibrant way—this could enhance the execution of WAN’s mission statement as well as provide yet another source for press and profit.
The style of WAN is undeniably bold, reason enough for attention. Esther Frank Doyle, a 17-year-old from Gainesville, NY, writes about passion in a way that is both intelligent and brutally honest; Francesca Merrick examines growing up black in a sea of white. The writing included is raw and uncensored, a refreshing contrast from the dry, thoroughly-edited writing high school students are encouraged to write in school. In terms of aesthetics, colorful photographs, drawings, and paintings offer visual intermissions between text.
The youth art culture in Ithaca that WAN represents is thriving. Thanks to the support of institutions such as LACS and other youth-focused organizations, Ithaca is bursting with young artists, musicians, and writers actively participating in the culture of community art.
Copies of We Are Neon can be found at the following locations: Buffalo Street Books, Petrune, Angry Mom Records, McNeil Music of Ithaca, through 73 Records Label/Disco, and at some Ithaca Underground shows.