IMA students launch Calibrator Magazine to celebrate photo and film excellence — in print
Attention IMA students, there’s a new print magazine at TMU!
Calibrator Magazine (external link) , a student-run print publication, is making its debut this year. Their goal is to showcase the diverse voices and art forms in the School of Image Arts’ disciplines.
The managing team, made up of Eufemae Menendez, Alyssa de Brum, Ria Pathak and Liam Valyani-Perera are expecting to launch Issue 1 of the magazine at this year’s MaxEx celebration.
Menendez, a fourth-year Photography and Media Arts student, is serving as the magazine’s project operations manager this year. She describes Calibrator as “a multi-layered narrative that showcases diverse voices of IMA students through conceptual and visual continuity.”
Calibrator replaces its predecessor, Function Magazine. (external link)
“Last year was the only year that Function didn't happen,” de Brum said, citing logistical challenges. She said some students who applied to join the MaxEx team last year were instead appointed to revive Function. “We ultimately decided that we wanted it to be a rebrand,” rather than a refresh, she said.
The biggest change between Calibrator and Function is that instead of restricting submissions to photography students, film students and others in the IMA community are also welcome to contribute — that includes poetry, film synopses or stills and artistic writing submissions as well.
“If there’s one thing that my team and I are passionate about, it is trying to include everyone and giving everyone a chance to have a print publication experience,” Menendez said. “At the end of the day, doesn’t it feel amazing to show your work in a professional, curated magazine?”
The team behind Calibrator felt it was important to have a print publication on campus that showcases the work of students.
“It's super important because, especially the student-run part. It gives us an opportunity to really have hands-on experience with something that might happen in the real world, like working for a magazine,” de Brum, the magazine’s social media and marketing manager said.
“For TMU’s Photography Media Arts students, I hope the magazine becomes a useful way to show off their work and get more exposure outside of our school environment,” Menendez added.
Earlier this year, Issue 0.5 (external link) was released as a way to test the waters for the new magazine. They got feedback from peers and professors, and since then, work on Issue 1 has been underway. It’s expected to be released at MaxEx, where anyone can pick up a copy.
“I can’t help but feel proud. Because the behind the scenes of Calibrator Magazine was a lot of work. We started with 0 resources,” Menendez said. “Look at us. We’ve come in a long way.”
Follow along for updates on submission openings, and where to pick up the magazine, at Calibrator’s Instagram page (external link) .