Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Institute (GrCI) has partnered with the History Center of San Luis Obispo County to re-establish the center’s publications program.

The new publishing initiative will focus on books and articles that reflect, examine and celebrate the historical and cultural heritage of San Luis Obispo County and the surrounding region.

“By building a strong connection between Cal Poly’s GrCI publication program and the History Center’s journal and book projects, we can make a lasting historical and literary contribution to the communities of San Luis Obispo County and beyond,” said Eva Ulz, History Center curator.

GrCI’s publishing program has a record of successful publishing with a focus on local authors and issues. The institute has the experience, resources and infrastructure to expedite such publishing projects and provides the opportunity for a city and university collaborative effort involving scholars, community professionals and students.

“Over the past few years, we’ve published about a half dozen books focusing on local issues and authors, both print and e-book versions,” said Harvey Levenson, director of the GrCI. “While the GrCI is not an official university press, we are modeling our publishing program in such a way.”

The first project under the new partnership will be to restart La Vista, the journal of Central Coast History, which was published sporadically from 1968 into the 1980s by historians and Cal Poly Professors Loren Nicholson and Dan Krieger.

“We envision La Vista’s revival to be an annual peer-reviewed journal accepting articles and reviews from around the county on topics that connect to the larger regional narrative, presented in a rigorous, engaging and approachable way,” reported La Vista Editor-In-Chief Jack San Filippo. “We’re looking for submissions from local community historians as well as scholars and academics.”

The new La Vista will debut at the History Center’s annual meeting in May 2015 and will be available in stores across the state and online. It will be under the guidance of an editorial board comprised of representatives from the History Center, Cal Poly, local historians, and members of the community.

The History Center is also working on the production of non-fiction and pictorial books by local authors. The center plans to work with history groups around the county to identify important topics and connect research and resources with local authors.

Initial projects in the proposal stage include a Guidebook of San Luis Obispo County Historical Museums and a pictorial compendium exploring the history and impact of photographers in San Luis Obispo County.