PANELS
11:30am-12:30pm
zine court
Rotary Club of Milwaukee Community Room, First Floor
Order in the court!! Gather round and join the jury for MZF’S panel Zine Court, with judge Quinn Blackshere presiding. Here, you will decide which of two local zinesters, Hannah Hallman and Tyler Schoen, presented a better case for a series of “zine hot takes.” What qualifies as a zine? Do Instagram carousels count as zines? I’m not sure, but you can help decide as the jury (audience) of the court!
3pm-4pm
no plan is the plan
Rotary Club of Milwaukee Community Room, First Floor
Zines are not static containers for cut-and-dry ideas. They’re fluid tools for wayfinding, documentation, or catalytic experimentation across disciplines. In this panel, we’ll explore how zine-making fuels other art practices (like cooking, performance, photography) and advances personal storytelling. A chit-chat with interdisciplinary artists Rae Friedman (founder of Ordinary Risks), Gosha Ananchev (lead of Sarnal Key), Basha Harris (jewelry-led metalsmith) and BearBear (Risograph press run by Diana H. Chu and Ben Grzenia)
TIMED ACTIVITIES
10:30AM-1:30PM
Typewriter Petting Zoo with Lisa Floading
Art, Music, & Recreation Room, Second Floor
Curious about writing on a typewriter? Stop by and try one out! This mini “petting zoo” features vintage machines from different decades owned by Lisa Floading, a local typewriter enthusiast. Paper is provided, and short instructions will help you get the hang of the mechanical keys. Type a note, a poem, or a line for your next zine. Experience the satisfying clack of analog words appearing on paper.
10:30AM-1PM
Digital Art & DIY Zines with MPL Makerspace
Mozart’s Grove, First Floor
Try your hand at digital art on the iPad or sit down and create your own zines from scratch using paper, collage and art supplies.
1PM-3PM
Zines for Literature with LaDasia Bryant, Founder/CEO Braided Magazine
Art, Music, & Recreation Room, Second Floor
A space to look at zines and the books they can lead you to. A dive into zines to help in the literature crisis and or to find a simpler way to get each other to understand broader topics. Come look at a collection of zines and books that talk about similar topics across different topics and see how zines are a revolutionary way to learn.
1PM-3:30PM
Rare Books Room Zine and Small Press Exhibit
in Rare Books Room, Second Floor
Come see selections from the zine collection of the Rare Books Room at Central Library!
ALL-DAY ACTIVITIES
Personalized Typewriter Poetry with Johnny Types Ink
Schoenleber Reading Room, First Floor
Step into the world of Johnny Types Ink, where your thoughts and emotions become poetry. Through warm conversation and real connection, Johnny creates a personalized piece just for you. A meaningful moment to carry with you or gift to someone special.
Is a Box a Zine? with MAM
Mozart’s Grove, First Floor
Join the Milwaukee Art Museum to design and fold a cube-shaped zine from a single sheet of paper inspired by Andy Warhol’s Brillo Soap Pads Box.
Screen printing with Union Print Club
Mozart’s Grove, First Floor
Join United Print Club for a free hands-on screenprinting activity provided by Union Print MKE! Participants will be able to learn about the process, pull a print, and take it home!
Learn to Zine from Teens with students from Brown Deer High School
Schoenleber Reading Room, First Floor
Learn to transform a single sheet of paper into your own personalized, eight-page miniature book using simple folding techniques and art materials. All materials and tools will be provided.
Zine Swap Table
Business & Periodicals Room, Second Floor
Leave a zine, take a zine! A space for zinesters to share their wares outside the confines of commerce.
Milwaukee Zine Fest 