Not just a print publication, Ultraviolet accepts art in all forms.
Now in its 23rd year, Ultraviolet’s executive team launched a new website on Nov. 5 and is currently accepting poetry, sketches, painting, short stories, video installations and plays for their April 2019 publication.
Following the new updates, Editors in Chief Katherine Gall and Serene Nekoui have broadened Ultraviolet’s horizons to accommodate more artists.
In past years, the publication didn’t have the resources to showcase video submissions or digital artwork. With the recent launch of Ultraviolet’s website, they’re now able to publish video component, and accept more submissions than ever before.
The website was a natural progression for the growing magazine. With a diverse group of contributors—ranging from students and professional artists to Kingston locals and Ontario artists—it only made sense to create a wider platform.
“That was another goal that we had this year, to really broaden the mediums that we accept,” Gall told The Journal.
Most of the submissions are from students, but Gall and Nekoui said their aim is to reach out to the community to represent a wider variety of people.
“That’s been the evolution of Ultraviolet. It started out really small, just on campus and it’s still a smaller publication but the base of it, who we’ve been reaching is growing,” Gall said.
Many of their contributing student artists aren’t in arts-related courses.
They’re in life sciences or engineering, and for most of them, it’s their first time sharing artwork.
Gall and Nikoui recognize there just aren’t many opportunities for students in the science department to publish artwork. They need a creative outlet.
That’s where Ultraviolet comes in.
“Generally the whole goal of Ultraviolet is to be a safe place for students to push the edge of creativity, because we’re a no-experience necessary magazine,” Gall said.
For vocal artists—spoken word poets, singers, musicians—they organize events with Union Gallery. The events invite the public to pay a small donation ing the artists.
Whether they’re professionals or amateurs, Ultraviolet is committed to giving each artist the same amount of exposure and .
After all, sharing your work, especially for the first time, can be an intimidating experience.
“We’re super aware of the fact that to submit and share your art work is a really personal and deep thing. So even though we may on a submission, we want people to know that if they’re interested in submitting we will handle your work with the utmost care and respect,” Gall said.
That’s the goal of Ultraviolet: to be a welcome and nonjudgmental space for all artists to share their work.
Unlike other publications on campus, their magazine doesn’t follow any rules, themes, or promote a political agenda.
“Nothing defines the beauty and the artwork. There’s no specific lifestyle. There’s no right way to do fashion. There’s no right way to write whatever you want to write,” Nekoui told The Journal.
“There’s beauty in the expression you have and there’s beauty in the individuality that you have.”
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