50 with Fink: Art teacher Adam Finkelston shares his art through his magazine, “The Hand”

Dozens of magazines are peeking out of and are tucked between the shelves of a wooden cabinet by the doorway of Room 231.

Amongst copies of photography journals and National Geographic catalogs, there’s one magazine that stands out due to the unique linocut cover — “The Hand.” 

Adam Finkelston — the art teacher in Room 231 — co-edits "The Hand", a print and photography magazine that's based on viewing art in-person. Finkelston doesn’t always contribute to his magazine, instead he includes other artists, but he curates the pieces that eventually are included.

“One of the foundational missions of the magazine is that art should be experienced in person as much as possible,” Finkelston said. “Looking at art on a screen just doesn't cut it. Seeing [art] physically — it's different. You can turn around and look at it quickly. You can sneak up on it. You can look at it from across the room.”

Finkelston publishes “The Hand” four times a year, and shares his passion for the arts with his students through the magazine.

“I think it's just cool, because it seems so much more legit, and it makes you look up to your teacher,” senior and AP Studio Art student Makena Pruitt said. “It's like if your English teacher wrote books. You kind of feel like you're getting more of a genuine source. You can tell that [teachers] are passionate about their subject if they're also doing it outside [of class].”

“The Hand” is distributed to around 700 subscribers around the world. These subscribers are found around the United States and many other countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Canada, China and Brazil. The artists, featured in “The Hand,” are from many of these countries.

But, a wide range of local artists can sometimes be featured in "The Hand.” These contributors are chosen by Finkelston and his co-editor and former SM East art teacher, James Meara. Many times, Finkelston and Meara find the artists through social media or art galleries.

Finkelston’s goal with “The Hand” is to represent artists as people, and to get to “the humanity of the artists that make the work.” So, he conducts interviews with artists to ask about their studio space, inspiration and specific art pieces for the magazine. 

“I'm an art fan, I love art, and there's a lot of artists who I really admire,” Finkelston said. “Having a magazine allows me to contact [artists] and either give them a platform to show their work or even interview them.”

Recently, Finkelston talked to his long-time inspiration Dan Estabrook, a New York-based photographer, about his contribution to the upcoming issue.

“[Estabrook] is an artist whose work I was looking at [in college],” Finkelston said. “I had no idea that I would ever get to meet him or talk to him. And then a couple months ago, I got to interview him.”

Talking to artists is still Finkelston’s favorite part of the magazine, even after 11 years of publishing. However, “The Hand” wasn’t always a 700-subscriber and 80-artist magazine.

“We started this thing, and we just wanted to make another [magazine],” Finkelston said. “And then we'll make enough money from that one that we can make another one. It was definitely living paycheck to paycheck sort of at the beginning, we didn't know how long it would last.”

Now, Finkelston is getting ready to celebrate issue 50 of “The Hand,” releasing on Oct. 10.

During class, it’s hard for Finkelston’s students not to notice the passion he puts into the art. 

Seniors and co-presidents of Art Club Pruitt and Natalie Jones each spend one period in Finkelston’s class, working on their AP Studio Art portfolios.

As a part of the AP Studio Art class, Jones takes field trips during class to local artistic venues such as Finkelston’s personal art studio in Old Overland Park. Last year Jones visited the space where Finkelston creates prints such as the colorful ones featured in “The Hand.” 

“He really loves art, and he wants to see it all the time,” Jones said. “The magazine is just another passion project; he just loves his art.”

Copies of “The Hand” are always available during class in the crowded, wooden cabinet, and students look at them during class.

“He's very passionate,” Pruitt said. “He teaches full-time to students and he curates a whole magazine. If that's not passion, I don't know what is. And if that's not inspiring, I don't know what is.”