14″x11″; paper and glue; 2025. Courtesy of the artist.
CALL TO ARTISTS
Lovely But Dead presents: The Art of Coming Back
Deadline for Submission: Sunday, 1 February 2026
Lovely But Dead presents: The Art of Coming Back is a 10-part collaborative, monthly zine series pairing the collage art of Emily Morgan (@Lovely_But_Dead) with writing that explores addiction, grief, trauma, mental health, and recovery (aka the art of coming back).
Each zine will be full-color, approximately 20 pages, and released in standard and premium versions from February through November, with a complete box set available at the end of the year. Each zine will feature one poem or story and offers a $50 stipend to the selected author.
SUBMIT YOUR WORK HERE
ADDITIONAL PROJECT INFO
Over the past few years, Emily has undergone a profound transformation through sobriety, art, and self-discovery. That transformation has often existed alongside unresolved grief, including the loss of family members, the loss of friends and social circles, and the shame that surfaces when reflecting on her darkest days. These themes emerge in her most intuitive and emotionally driven work.
The Art of Coming Back began as an experimental effort to confront these experiences head-on. Then, through participation in Kolaj Institute’s Artist Development workshop, Collage Publishing, the project evolved into a polished, collaborative zine series, giving Emily a way to sit with difficult feelings publicly, safely, and truthfully.
By inviting others to share their own stories of recovery, the series creates space to experience grief and the art of coming back through the eyes of others. In doing so, it helps break through the pain of being unable to find the words to name our own grief, offering language and understanding through collective experience.
SUBMIT YOUR WORK HERE
(This call to artists is presented on behalf of the organization submitting the call. Any questions regarding this call should be sent to the artist/organization presenting the call.)