Performers sang, danced and recited to an enthusiastic audience at Fine Lines’ Fall Coffeehouse on Friday, Oct. 25 in the chorus room, a club tradition at RM that has been around for decades.
Fine Lines is a club that works yearlong to publish an art magazine with student submissions. It has been a fixture at RM since the 1980s, and its current sponsors, English teacher Sara Liles and MYP coordinator Molly Clarkson, have been mentoring the club since 2008.
The publication has won many awards including the prestigious NSPA Pacemaker and CSPA Gold Crown. Last year, class of ‘23 graduate Melody Qian and junior Evyia Makrodimitri won the CSPA Gold Circle, which recognizes individual achievement.
The Coffeehouse is a seasonal event where the club provides a platform for students to perform and display their art. Students have previously recited Hamlet, sung karaoke, presented their art and played their instruments.
“I like the idea of a club that brings everyone together to create different types of art and display it,” senior and editor-in-chief Jasmine Chen said. “It’s a nice and cheap way for you to show other people your art without breaking the bank.”
Chen joined Fine Lines last year as the publicity editor. “I’ve been doing art ever since I was a kid,” Chen said. “I did graphic design for about two years and I have certifications in Photoshop and Adobe. Right now, I’m in a portfolio-building class at the VAC [Visual Art Center Program] at Einstein.”
Fine Lines also holds other events throughout the year such as RM Idol, which is a singing competition. Students audition and those selected by a committee perform in front of a crowd. “It’s a super great opportunity if you’re interested in performing and you like singing,” Chen said.
In addition, the magazine holds a rose sale every Valentine’s Day. Students pre order flowers and bouquets to be delivered to their friends and partners. “A few days before we start selling them, the whole club does de-thorning. We play music and we have de-thorning tools,” junior and editor-in-chief Ansuya Bisbey said. “It’s really cute. You’re in class on Valentine’s Day and then you receive a little rose.”
At their weekly meetings, Fine Lines reviews student submissions and gives compliments, criticism and advice. If a piece is good enough, the artwork goes directly into a folder to be published in the final magazine. “Fine Lines is unique because when we receive the submissions, we review them together and we give feedback. It’s a chance for people to grow and improve,” Bisbey said.
Students are not required to submit work to attend the critiques, and attendance is likewise unrequired for art submissions. The submission form can be found on their Instagram, Linktree, and email list.
Not all members are deeply involved in creating work. Some, like Bisbey, who joined last year as a film editor, prefer the more administrative tasks. “I actually have a really big interest in the arts, so I do a lot of work with backstage drama,” Bisbey said. “I’ve never been a person who likes performing, and I’ve never been good at hands-on art, but I find that I really enjoy and admire it. I think my strengths are in managing and overseeing those kinds of things.”
Some of Bisbey’s favorite musicians include Mazzy Star, Mitski and TV Girl. She also likes Yayoi Kusama, who recently did an exhibit at the Hirshhorn museum. “I like going to museums and art galleries since we’re so close to D.C.,” Kusama said. “I’m just really drawn to being a part of the artistic atmosphere without actually doing things hands-on myself.”
Bisbey plans to go into public policy and government but plans to keep art as a part of her life. “I’m interested in government and it’s something that’s practical as a career. But I’ll always keep art as a hobby,” Bisbey said. “I think it’s important to have different interests and do extracurriculars.”
Fine Lines often serves as a springboard for new artists to express themselves. “We receive submissions from people all over the school. It can be music. It can be a film. It can be from any type of media … I think Fine Lines is just so diverse and it suits a variety of people,” Bisbey said. “We actually do publish it and your name is out there … people want to have their work put out there and it means a lot to them when they see themselves in the book.”
Makrodimitri joined Fine Lines during her freshman year and she has presented her artwork at every single coffeehouse since. “I like to make comics. Right now, I’m working on a Crime of Punishment graphic novel,” Makrodimitri said. “I really like Russian literature, so I draw Russian literature characters a lot.”
Some of her published artworks include a drawing of a crowd inspired by ink block style and art about the psychological analysis of the characters in “Persona,” by Ingmar Bergman. A more recent piece was a drawing of the character Marya Lebyadkina from Dostoevsky’s novel, “Demons.”
“[Art] is a great way for me to express my ideas. An artwork I submitted to Fine Lines was me analyzing two characters and comparing them, without writing an actual essay,” Makrodimitri said. “It’s easier for me to show visual symbolism and put it into an artwork than write.”
Makrodimitri encourages all artists at RM to submit to Fine Lines. “I think Fine Lines is a good way for artists to express themselves and share their artwork with other people,” Makrodimitri said. “A lot of people go there who are interested in artwork. And then they get to see and make connections with people who are displaying.”
Bisbey believes that Fine Lines is a great opportunity to promote art more as she recognizes the need of artists in society. “I think art should be promoted more because … it shows how each culture is different … There’s also so many different art styles that are unique to each person, and it has lineages that go back to so long ago,” Bisbey said. “Things don’t always need to have a practical or technical purpose. There has to be things that we just enjoy. That’s why people love movies and music so much. There’s value in the things we enjoy and consume.”
If you would like to voice your opinion on an issue you feel is relevant to our community, please do so here. Anyone is able and welcome to submit a Letter to the Editor, regardless of journalistic experience or writing skills. Submissions may be published either online or in a print issue.
