Baltimore magazine "La Horchata" highlights Central American artists

A magazine made in Baltimore is putting Central American artists and their work in the spotlight. 

"La Horchata Zine" launched in 2017 and has since grown to have a national and sometimes international audience. 

The magazine, or Zine, is a self-published DIY magazine that creators and featured artists say fills a void. 

Highlighting Central American artists

If you've walked past Wolfe Street Academy in Upper Fells Point, you have seen one of Jessy Desantis' largest pieces of artwork. 

The scale and details would make you think DeSantis had been doing it all their life, but they only started when they moved to Baltimore in 2016. 

"I've always had a passion for drawing and painting, although I didn't go to school for that," DeSantis said. "And I also felt like I didn't have that opportunity, or it wasn't an option." 

"La Horchata" showed DeSantis that they could pursue their art. 

DeSantis has since contributed to several issues of the Zine. They wish something like this had come earlier in their life. 

"It would've been life-changing for me, and I know there just isn't a lot of content out there for Central Americans," DeSantis said. 

Creators of "La Horchata" 

Veronica Melendez and Kimberly Benavides started the Zine in 2017. Melendez was wrapping up her MFA program when she realized there weren't any publications dedicated to Central American artists. 

Initially, the idea was to be a digital publication. 

"It just existed as a WordPress that didn't go anywhere, didn't get published. It was lost in cyberspace, I think," Melendez said. "Then, fast forward three years later, in 2017, I think we kind of were like, okay." 

So, the two launched a print version of the Zine. In the first issue, they featured fewer than 10 artists. 

After that, they put out an open call and have continued to do so. 

Now, the Zine features close to 20 artists in each issue. The artists are from all over the country and sometimes from Central America, bringing a big audience. 

"From the beginning, we had notes or emails when people would order them," Benavides said. "They would put little notes in the order, like, 'I live in Oklahoma and I have no one around me that's Central American, so this is my community.'"

Benavides and Melendez are in the middle of making their next Zine. Despite having full-time jobs, they don't plan to stop anytime soon. 

"Providing space for artists from our community to be able to express themselves, see themselves in print, is so important," Melendez said. 

Their goal is to spotlight and inspire, like they did with DeSantis. 

"Seeing this, I probably would've pursued art earlier in my career," DeSantis said. 

Find more information about "La Horchata Zine" here.