HELENA — The art and literary magazine "Pen & Ink" is a collaboration between Capital High, Helena High, and PAL. Supported by the Helena Education Foundation since 2006, students have gathered their art, photography, and writing together for the periodical.
“I think it's very rare for kids to get to publish whatever they want or to submit whatever they want,” says high school English teacher & staff sponsor for Pen & Ink, Kevin Ward.
The magazine currently taking submissions from high school students. The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 10.
Lead Editor for Pen & Ink, Miranda Sheafor, says that this publication gives students a unique opportunity to get their work published and seen, an opportunity not always available to high schoolers.
“With writing, and sometimes with art and photography too, I think there are less easy ways to get your writing out there. It feels like this very daunting thing that you can only do once you've gotten really good at it. So, to have this magazine that is for this level where if you are really passionate about it you can start getting your work out there and seeing what that’s like, I think that's a really unique opportunity that it presents,” says Sheafor.
The students utilize professional industry editing software in order to create the annual magazine. And utilize Helena’s Allegra to print the end result.
Students work from February up until the release event at the Holter Museum where up to 4 students are given a financial award for their writing known as the Harrison Writing Award. This year’s award is for $350.
“If you have any sort of creative work that you're passionate about, submit it. Like, the worst thing that’ll happen is somebody has read it now and you've shared it out with the world. And then, you just keep trying. But, you know, it's a good opportunity to get started,” says Sheafor.
Completed magazines for 2023 will be available for sale at the release event and at Montana Book Co.
