PANEL 2  |  2:00pm to 3:00pm

>> The Future is Indie: Zine Culture & Self-Publishing as Liberation

For Black and Brown creatives, zine making and self-publishing are more than just artistic practices—they are acts of liberation. In a world where mainstream media distorts, excludes, or erases our voices, indie publishing provides an unfiltered space for creative freedom, self-expression, and community storytelling. But what does it take to build a sustainable, impactful, and liberatory self-publishing practice?

 

This panel brings together zinemakers, writers, poets, musicians, and artists who are reclaiming their narratives through indie publishing. We’ll explore the act of creating—how we turn ideas into zines, music, and art—and how these works become tools for archiving our histories, challenging media gatekeepers, and building alternative economies. Panelists will also discuss the importance of collaboration, ownership, audience impact, and distribution, as well as the financial realities of self-publishing and strategies for sustainability.

 

Join us for a conversation on the radical possibilities of indie publishing as a form of resistance, preservation, and artistic freedom.

 

Moderator:

Nakeysha Roberts Washington

M.S. Ed., is a distinguished multidisciplinary artist, writer, Creative Director, educator, arts curator, and publisher specializing in culturally sustaining pedagogy, creative storytelling, and equity-driven instructional leadership. Her work bridges education, storytelling, and social advocacy, creating transformative learning experiences that empower diverse voices.

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As the Founder of Genre: Urban Arts (GUA), she has built a dynamic global platform that amplifies underrepresented voices through publishing, exhibitions, and arts-integrated education. A mixed media creative, Nakeysha’s work explores identity, culture, and resilience, blending artistic expression with pedagogy to spark dialogue and inspire change.

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Panelists:

• Ladasia Bryant is a recent graduate from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, specializing in Communication Design.  My creative journey converges graphic design, fine art, and curation, with a profound focus on community and meaningful change through the arts. My brainchild, Braided Magazine, is more than a platform; it's my commitment to amplifying BIPOC creativity and fostering accessibility to art in our communities. For me, design is a means to craft safe spaces, especially for BIPOC individuals, where their stories can thrive daily. Beyond design, my art and writing delve into the realms of grief and healing. I use visual art and words to explore universal experiences, weaving a narrative of resilience and growth that connects us all. 
   

• Celeste Contreras Skierski is a Xicana-Indigenous artist who works in mixed mediums to share stories of ceremony, palimpsests and memory with reflections of identity. Her work includes illustrations, print, book arts, fiber arts and animation. Contreras is a lecturer at UW-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts where she earned a Master of Fine Art (MFA), in 2022, focused in Print and Narrative Forms. She serves as a board member at Anchor Press, Paper and Print and THE CR8TV HOUSE. Contreras is a resident artist at The House of RAD, and she is managing Studio Tlacuilo + Library, an artist’s book library established in 2022. 
   

• Genesis Renji is an archetype for the multidisciplinary artist. With talents spanning from rapping and songwriting to music engineering and authorship, the Emmy-nominated emcee’s music is powered by lyrical finesse and a zealous knack for constant evolution. His music reflects his astrological mapping, a Gemini who channels his gift of duality by way of introspective verses and anthemic choruses. With a resume that includes landing song placements on Adult Swim, Queen Sugar, Bel Air, and Nickelodeon; publishing two self-help books (The Book Of Genesis: GOAT Talk & GOAT Talk II), earning a 2018 Emmy nomination, performing at a Milwaukee Bucks halftime show, spearheading his own indie label (House of Renji), and many more accolades, Genesis has proven his vocal dexterity and undeniable star power are one-of-one. 
   

• Symphony D. Swan-Zawadi is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and arts advocate dedicated to fostering creativity, arts and cultural preservation, and community engagement. With over a decade of experience in arts education, philanthropy, and nonprofit leadership, she is the Founding Executive Director of THE CR8TV HOUSE, a nonprofit designed to provide space for radical imagination, support, and collaboration. Rooted in wellness and artist workforce development, her work emphasizes the power of art to create sustainable opportunities for creative professionals while fostering healing and belonging. Symphony is committed to creating lasting impact through art and advocacy; she continues to shape spaces that honor memory, inspire radical imagination, and empower communities to reclaim their narratives.