In 2017, graduate students in UCSC’s History of Art and Visual Studies created a free open access journal of peer-reviewed, innovative, and interdisciplinary scholarship--the first of its kind at UC Santa Cruz. Four years later, Refract: An Open Access Visual Studies Journal has published three volumes, hosted in-person and online symposia, and launched our independent website. Currently our team is hard at work on volume four (Document/ary) – which is where we need your help!
Refract creates opportunities for artists, writers, scholars and activists in and outside the academy to share their work in a high-quality, accessible publication. Our editorial process supports and elevates graduate student scholarship, traditionally underrepresented voices, and understudied or undervalued modes of expression. We are committed to making Refract accessible to all and are grateful to past Giving Day funding which we used to develop screen-reader-friendly formats and to hire ASL interpreters.
Refract is about community. Our team has experienced amazing professional and personal growth in the last four years. We have added graduate student board members from UCSC’s Film and Digital Media and Literature departments and hired a fabulous undergraduate intern. Your contributions will allow us to continue funding our undergraduate intern program, fostering the passion for politically and socially engaged scholarship and the near-peer mentorship UCSC is known for.
Refract provides its board members with hands-on publishing experience that is essential, but not included, in our graduate training. These skills help prepare us for future careers in academic or alternative-academic spaces. Your gift will play an important role in continued career training and support a strong foundation to sustain Refract's essential publishing work into the future.
Check out our new website and read our journal! You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Thank you for your support!
Rank | State | Gifts |
---|---|---|
1 | CA | 5 |
2 | OR | 1 |
2 | UT | 1 |