About the Event

Firsthand Experiences bring contemporary artists together with learners ages 13 and up for hands-on programs that combine making, gallery conversations, and discovery.

Disabled artist and design activist, Jen White-Johnson, will lead us in a zine-making workshop using collage materials, stressing the importance of making zines to activate disabled joy in the arts. Participants will explore how zine-making can be used as a form of protest to amplify overshadowed women and disabled artist narratives, holding space for conversations on feminism, disability design futures, mothering as an act of resistance, reproductive and disability justice, equity, belonging, access, and collective liberation for all.

Engaging with Jen’s zine collection, participants will also discover how zines can give voice to marginalized groups and perspectives and will hear about the value of zines in the democratic process.

About the Artist Instructor:

Jen White-Johnson is a disabled and neurodivergent artist, designer, and educator who centers Black disabled joy and futures in her work. Her practice is informed by disability justice and a Black feminist disability framework. White-Johnson has presented her work to, and collaborated with, brands and art spaces such as Target, Coachella, and Adobe. Her work is permanently archived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. White-Johnson has an MFA in graphic design from the Maryland Institute College of Art. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with her husband and son.

Questions? Email education@nmwa.org.