The Contributor is a nonprofit organization that offers help with housing and other survival resources for people experiencing homelessness. However, as someone who previously worked there, I observed that the magic of the organization really lies in giving people an opportunity to express themselves. The twice-weekly paper has always included vendor submissions of drawings, poems, songs and true stories, and this year The Contributor took that a step further with UnZine. In addition to the newspaper, vendors can now also sell these zines, DIY publications focused on art and stories from Contributor vendors in partnership with local artists, including Paul Collins with Stagger Press. My fellow Hannah, Hannah Cron, even gave this program a Best of Nashville award for Best Nonprofit Arts Project this year. Pieces compiled from this year’s publications are set to be displayed in a public reception as part of the Second Saturday Downtown Art Crawl. It’s a chance to see art for free, support the local arts scene and help people feel seen. (It’s also free.)
6 p.m. at Gallery 56 in The Arcade
223 Fourth Ave. N.
