I remember walking into the office one time last spring and seeing one of the first issues of Dialogue laying on the desk. It was printed on an off-white, thin paper with a very distinctive feel—almost like newsprint—and featured a woodcut of an elderly woman wearing glasses and a logo that had been cut out of black construction paper and taped on during the layout process.
Over forty years later, we’re still using that logo on each of our issues. We’ve since converted black construction paper to a png and swapped out tape for inDesign. We’ve come a long way since that logo made its debut—we’ve streamlined our submissions process, partnered with a printing company, and added two new categories and a showcase—but there’s one thing that hasn’t changed.
Dialogue is you.
It always has been you—you, the student body; you, the submitters; you, the jury; you, the supporters. You are all what makes Dialogue, well, Dialogue.
This isn’t some cliché we throw at you to indulge you. We honestly, truly, wholeheartedly believe that you are what keeps Dialogue going.
You, the submitters, are artists in this greater community on campus. Each of you—whether you’re studying studio art or writing or biochemistry or social work—are all creators of beautiful, intricate, multifaceted work. Without your work, we would have nothing to fill the pages of Dialogue. We would have nothing to showcase how talented the students in our community are.
You, the jury, are students of the community who immerse yourselves in the work that is submitted. Each of you—whether you’re studying studio art or writing or biochemistry or social work—is a curator of sorts, redefining semester after semester what “the arts” means at Calvin. Without you, we wouldn’t know which of the four hundred pieces we receive are representative of the artists in our community. We wouldn’t know which pieces are relevant to you.
You, the supporters, are what continually reassures us that there is a reason for doing what we do. Each of you—whether you’re studying studio art or writing or biochemistry or social work—gives us hope that there is still a value of, a need for, the arts on campus. Without you, we wouldn’t have an audience. Without you, we wouldn’t have a publication. Without you, we could not be us.
As a staff, it is our job to support you: all the “you”s. I think sometimes being part of our staff is perceived as intimidating, as a job that requires a lot of responsibility or specialized skills or even uncomfortable authority. In reality, we are at the mercy of our artists. Our staff doesn’t create the artwork; we don’t even choose it.
From start to finish, every issue of Dialogue is a conversation between the artists and the community. We are just a mediator between the two. We are a catalyst for that conversation.
With that in mind, I’d like to introduce a new development for Dialogue: this blog. We want this to be an extension of the conversation that takes place around the work that is published. We want this to be a space of understanding, of learning, of engaging. We’ll be introducing members of our staff, explaining what all goes into publishing an issue of Dialogue, and highlighting artists from our community.
As we venture into a new semester full of possibilities, I’d like to ask a favor of you:
Read through this most recent issue. Engage with it. Notice the names that are printed by each piece. Recognize the tireless work that these submitters—and so many others—have put into their work. Encourage, support, and build the arts community on campus.
Over forty years later, we’re still using that logo on each of our issues. We’ve since converted black construction paper to a png and swapped out tape for inDesign. We’ve come a long way since that logo made its debut—we’ve streamlined our submissions process, partnered with a printing company, and added two new categories and a showcase—but there’s one thing that hasn’t changed.
Dialogue is you.
It always has been you—you, the student body; you, the submitters; you, the jury; you, the supporters. You are all what makes Dialogue, well, Dialogue.
This isn’t some cliché we throw at you to indulge you. We honestly, truly, wholeheartedly believe that you are what keeps Dialogue going.
You, the submitters, are artists in this greater community on campus. Each of you—whether you’re studying studio art or writing or biochemistry or social work—are all creators of beautiful, intricate, multifaceted work. Without your work, we would have nothing to fill the pages of Dialogue. We would have nothing to showcase how talented the students in our community are.
You, the jury, are students of the community who immerse yourselves in the work that is submitted. Each of you—whether you’re studying studio art or writing or biochemistry or social work—is a curator of sorts, redefining semester after semester what “the arts” means at Calvin. Without you, we wouldn’t know which of the four hundred pieces we receive are representative of the artists in our community. We wouldn’t know which pieces are relevant to you.
You, the supporters, are what continually reassures us that there is a reason for doing what we do. Each of you—whether you’re studying studio art or writing or biochemistry or social work—gives us hope that there is still a value of, a need for, the arts on campus. Without you, we wouldn’t have an audience. Without you, we wouldn’t have a publication. Without you, we could not be us.
As a staff, it is our job to support you: all the “you”s. I think sometimes being part of our staff is perceived as intimidating, as a job that requires a lot of responsibility or specialized skills or even uncomfortable authority. In reality, we are at the mercy of our artists. Our staff doesn’t create the artwork; we don’t even choose it.
From start to finish, every issue of Dialogue is a conversation between the artists and the community. We are just a mediator between the two. We are a catalyst for that conversation.
With that in mind, I’d like to introduce a new development for Dialogue: this blog. We want this to be an extension of the conversation that takes place around the work that is published. We want this to be a space of understanding, of learning, of engaging. We’ll be introducing members of our staff, explaining what all goes into publishing an issue of Dialogue, and highlighting artists from our community.
As we venture into a new semester full of possibilities, I’d like to ask a favor of you:
Read through this most recent issue. Engage with it. Notice the names that are printed by each piece. Recognize the tireless work that these submitters—and so many others—have put into their work. Encourage, support, and build the arts community on campus.
Taylor Hartson
Managing Editor