Welcome to the second issue of Auxiliary Magazine! We’ve made it past the one-hit-wonder stage. When we first started out on this issue our idea was to make an issue about beating the winter blahs. Located in the northeastern US, we get a lot of snow this time of year and the February and March months are a generally a slow, dark, and depressing time. As we were putting together this issue I began to see that this theme had indeed woven itself into the issue, yet it had also developed into something more. There are straight forward articles like a guide to throwing your own winter luau; articles and features on Valentine’s day, love, and giving; and a fashion editorial called “Bright” focusing on neon colors. But I could see there was more to it. In a time of economic depression in the US a lot of people are feeling frustrated and giving up hope. Though some are holding on to hope and light. This issue we have an editorial on moving to urban centers and how that can boost economic growth and help build a stronger city through community and culture. We have a feature on Potential Life Studios, a unique gallery in Rochester that is surviving despite everything. And perhaps the most insightful were our interviews this issue. In the Fever Ray interview, Karin sighted the understanding and creativity that comes from family and being a mother. Dan and Smith of Babyland continually bring up survival and DIY throughout the interview, and pointed out that people are beginning to realize they need to do things in the scene to keep it alive and are starting up all sorts of new projects. So the theme to this issue, “brightness in the dark” seemed to take on a life of its own and surface in more ways than we had planned. In addition, you will also find a new photographer for one of our editorials, Studio X, and a much expanded music section. We hope that you are finding a way to keep positive and get through the dark months. Hopefully Auxiliary can aid you in this task. Enjoy, and as always, thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Link
from the February Issue of Auxiliary Magazine
