Sami D’Andrea is not your typical senior at Westhill High School. Being founder/editor-in-chief of her very own published Filth Magazine for about a year now, D’Andrea has a lot going for her. Filth is a place where independent artists, musicians, and creators can have their work published and seen by a broader audience. Her goal is to give the lesser-known artists a platform for their work to be viewed and recognized like they deserve.
D’Andrea came to the realization that these talented, lesser-known artists were never in the pages of The Fader, Vogue, i-D Magazine, or any other bigger publications. She wasn’t seeing any representation for independent artists in those magazines, so she decided to create her own, where these artists can have an environment that gives them the chance to put their work out there. All the small artists D’Andrea finds online motivate her to continue the creative process vital to the magazine’s existence and reach out to the people she wants to feature.
She runs the magazine on her own, does all the design work, layout, and the contacting. Her best friend, Peyton Lennard, helps run the social media account (@filthmagazine) on Instagram, making sure its frequently updated. A lot of times, contributors have approached D’Andrea through email asking to be featured. She looks thoroughly through their work before making a decision but usually ends up featuring them.
Filth comes out with a different theme every season. This upcoming issue is “Red” themed so D’Andrea has been on the lookout for artists who best fit her theme. This up-and-coming senior even makes a profit! The first issue of Filth was $6.95 and the second issue is now $14, because it’s twice the length in pages. Though she only pockets a few dollars per magazine, it all goes to saving up for Photoshop, InDesign, and the other programs she needs to sufficiently create this magazine.
For the future, D’Andrea hopes for the magazine to gain a sizable following so that these smaller artists’ work can be seen by a larger audience. The unique name, style, and quality of Filth Magazine makes it different than all the rest.
