Our Mission
100% artist owned and operated since 2017, Curious Publishing is a grassroots, BIPOC Womxn founded small press and artist think tank focusing on social justice, mental health, and amplifying marginalized voices in the Inland Empire of Southern California. Curious Publishing is Fiscally Sponsored by The Arts Area, a Non-Profit 501(c)3 Organization operating out of Upland, CA.
Our Team
Rebecca Ustrell | Founder, Editor in Chief
rebecca.ustrell@curiouspublishing.org
Samuel Signer | Production Assistant
Freelance Staff
Nicholas Aceves | Graphic Designer | Merchandise
Hayley Lockwood | Assistant Editor | CURIOUS Magazine
Alumni Staff
Cheri Mae Jocson | Head Editor | CURIOUS Magazine
Mariah Green | Guest Curator | CURIOUS Magazine
Kalynn Vidaurre | Graphic Designer | CURIOUS Magazine
Hailey McMullen | Curator | ABYME Magazine
Jessica Spindler | Intern | CURIOUS Magazine
Emanda Ceccia | Event Coordinator | Curious Publishing
General Inquiries
hello@curiouspublishing.org
Our Projects
CURIOUS Magazine | The quarterly art magazine featuring interviews and artwork based on a central theme published September, December, March and June.
ABYME Magazine | The biannual lifestyle, music, food, and culture magazine published January and June (premiering 01/2020).
Independent Art Book Publishing | Projects ranging from small volumes, to large hard-bound books, Curious Publishing creates art books showcasing individual artist’s work.
Curious VSOP | Vintage. Sporadic. Obscure. Precious.
A place for unique, previously owned, printed ephemera, and other media.
Actually Curious Collaboration in 2022
Threadless Design Challenge | More about this partnership:
Actually Curious is the conversation card game and movement to spread empathy. The game uses the science and psychology of trust building and emotional connection to activate your natural ability to empathize with others. Actually Curious has generated quite a bit of buzz and press over the past couple of years, and has been featured by the likes of New York Times, Refinery29, Health, Well+Good, and was even featured on Beyoncé’s Black Parade list.Since 2000, Threadless has activated the online community to bring you original designs by artists like you through its unique online platform where designs are voted on. Threadless celebrates and supports the creative expression that drives cultural change, and loves art that sparks a conversation. Threadless is both a brave space for artists to share their designs and a safe space for all identities to find art that supports the things they care about
BIPOC + Queer NFT Studio | We believe we can do the same with NFTs and generate revenue for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ creatives in the process.
The Empathy Access Card gives owners unlimited access to Actually Curious events as part of an exclusive member’s club, advanced access to future NFTs created by Actually Curious and their partners, a copy of Actually Curious to keep or gift, and the opportunity to win $2,000 once all editions are sold!
Our plan is to create an NFT Studio where we work with creators and thought-leaders to develop NFTs that are beautifully collectible that help to spread empathy, while raising the NFTs' value as we succeed at our purpose goals. The society wins, the NFT owner wins, the creators win, and our organization and partners win too.
Features
Zine Fest brings new art and ideas to 5Cs and surrounding community | The Student Life
Curious Publishing: A blooming platform for the unheard | The Poly Post
Art and Bodega brings good vibes to Packing House | Claremont Courier
Publishing house sustains diversity | LV Campus Times
Upland artist uses work to fight for social change | Daily Bulletin
If you didn’t know, print matters: Curious Publishing | The Pomonan
The Artist: An immersive examination of Immersive Unicorn | The Pomonan
Why love a good zine? | Michael Tennant on Medium
Inland Arts: An Examination of Potential Growth Economic and Educational | Infrastructures for the Inland Empire’s Artistic Community
Daisy Chaudruc | Pitzer College
See our interview with Voyage LA Magazine here.
See our interview with Shout Out LA here.
Listen to our conversation with artist Frank Stockton here.
Pseudo Podcast here.
Question Crunch Podcast here.
Claremont Rotary News here.
Open Gym Podcast here.
Our Founder
In 2017 after a long period of artistic burn-out, I scrambled to find inspiration amongst my vast collection of printed art materials. Soon thereafter, I was hooked on conceptualizing my own art into small book projects. What was first a functional mechanism used to promote my own artwork, soon blossomed into a much larger project which now serves artists all across the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, and beyond. Curious Publishing continues to grow on multi media platforms online and in small-run print projects. I’m always open to collaborations no matter how tiny or gigantic. Drop a line any time.
With Love,
Rebecca Ustrell
P.S. Submissions are always open, click the tab up top to pitch me your zine/print/nft ideas and we’ll set up a call.
