Today we’d like to introduce you to Piper Robbins.
Hi Piper , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Since graduating from Miami University in 2022 with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Music History, I knew I wanted to create a publication for my own writing along side art and writings from friends. Most musicologists ignore the queer experience when speaking about musicians/artists lives and that has always made me uncomfortable. How can one write about the significance of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky or Leonard Bernstein yet avoid their queerness? It is part of their story, part of their pieces, part of their identity.
After some time of contemplation, my friends pushed me to start Grapevine Zine. I would constantly talk about how I want to write and create art for a publication, so why not bring it to fruition? In August of 2024, a group of my friends and I met at Common Grounds weekly until our first issue came out on November 30th, 2024. Ever since our first issue, we have released an issue every two months, each with a different theme. We have vended at Manic Pixie Dream Market, Zygote Press, and Whimsigoth in order to get our issues out to the public. Right now, we do not have our own store front. However, if you ever visit Human Heart Studios, we have each issue as well as stickers, buttons, and prints for sale in their store!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We have had our ups and downs, for sure. We use our local public libraries in order to print each issue. Depending on which library we are at, the colorway prints slightly different. Since this zine is DIY and not run by a corporation, we are always subject to error or mishaps, but that is just part of the journey. My goal is to make sure the zine stays as DIY as possible in order to avoid censorship and corporate interference when it comes to our artistic expression. But because we are DIY, the funding is coming from our own pockets. It is definitely a struggle given we are a bunch of 20 something’s working part-time jobs who wanted to contribute to a passion project. Although we might be losing more money than profiting, I am just thankful that people want to read our zine!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Besides working as a Visitor Service Representative at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I am a mixed media artist. I love to combine oils, acrylics, 3D objects, and oil pastels in my work. A consistant motif in my work is eyes. No matter what I create, you will see an eyeball in the mix. One of my high school teachers told me, “those who draw eyes are more inclined to self-criticism,” and I couldn’t agree more. I am my biggest critic and it feels as though the eyes I paint are just my own eyes, looking at the viewer wondering what they think of my work.
I am most proud of the work I put into curating the Gallery of Gays: Pride Lasts Forever on July 5th, 2025 at Human Heart Studios. That was my first time hosting an event at the art studio as well as my first time as lead curator! Being able to connect with 28 artists who took a chance on me and my event was very special. I hope to do another gallery of my solo work in the near future.
What sets me apart from others is my willingness to bend the rules of art. I did not take any art classes beyond 4th grade and have been winging it since! But because I do not have the knowledge of knowing what techniques are right and wrong, it gives me the free will to create what I want, however I want. It is a liberating feeling. But, when it comes to music composition, that is when I have trouble breaking through the restraints of rules in music theory. Knowing too much can hinder ones creativity and I am constantly trying to remind myself that again, I have the free will to write whatever I want.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I like best about our city is the underground art and music scene. I have met some of the most interesting and creative people in this city and they are never the ones you see being celebrated beyond the underground scene.
What I dislike most about our city is how car-centric we are, hard drugs circling young communities, gun violence, the blatant zionism and anti-Palestinian rhetoric, as well as police brutality infiltrating Black spaces.
Pricing:
- Each zine is $5
Contact Info:
- Website: https://grapevinezines.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grapevinezine
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/piper-robbins222
