Innovation Through Collaboration Panel, Mid America Print Council (MAPC) conference- OVPR Curate Program

In October 2024, I attended the Mid America Print Council (MAPC) conference at Kansas State University, a biennial national gathering dedicated to advancing the printmaking arts. With grant support covering travel, lodging, and registration, I served as a panelist on Innovation Through Collaboration, chaired by Raluca Iancu of Iowa State University. My presentation focused on the Aphasia Zine Project, an interdisciplinary initiative funded through a University of Kentucky IRC Grant. This project brought together colleagues from Arts Administration, Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Integrated Strategic Communication to create risograph-printed zines for UK’s Aphasia Lab. These publications translated complex medical information into accessible, tactile formats, while also demonstrating the potential of print media to foster communication and community.

The conference significantly advanced my research and professional connections. I met several artists in person with whom I had previously engaged only through social media, strengthening professional networks within the printmaking field. Following my panel talk, I was invited to give an online artist lecture to a Zines class at the University of North Florida, directly expanding the reach of my scholarship and teaching. Additionally, I connected with a research professor from the University of Arkansas to discuss a future SEC Faculty Travel Grant collaboration. These outcomes underscore the value of this support in furthering both my research and interdisciplinary engagement.

In October 2024, I attended the Mid America Print Council conference at Kansas State University, an event where artists, teachers, and students gather to share new ideas in printmaking. I spoke on a panel about the Aphasia Zine Project, an effort to create small, handmade booklets—called zines—for people with aphasia, a communication disorder often caused by stroke or head injury. Zines (short for “magazines”) are an inexpensive, do-it-yourself publishing format with a long history of giving people a voice outside mainstream media. They often combine text, images, and design in a way that is creative, personal, and easy to share.

For this project, I worked with colleagues from different fields at the University of Kentucky to produce zines that explained medical information in more accessible and visually engaging ways. Some were lighthearted, like a holiday booklet with recipes and drawings, while others were designed to help people newly diagnosed with aphasia.

The conference was a valuable opportunity to share this work and connect with others. I met artists I had only known online, was invited to give a guest talk to a class at the University of North Florida, and began discussions with a professor from the University of Arkansas about a future research partnership.

Presenting this work at the Mid America Print Council conference expanded professional networks, including in-person connections with artists previously known only online.

The panel presentation directly led to an invited online artist talk at the University of North Florida.

A new research partnership with a University of Arkansas professor was initiated, with plans to pursue an SEC Faculty Travel Grant.