Kennedy Adams

This half-day workshop invites participants to explore the intersection of traditional letterpress and contemporary risograph printing through hands-on zine-making. Using pre-printed wood type, metal ornaments, and historic advertising cuts from Indiana University’s collection, attendees will create risograph-ready layouts through collage, scanning, and analog design techniques. Each participant will leave with their own risograph zine and a brief introduction to the riso process. Additionally, zines will be shared via a community vending machine installed at the museum for the duration of the conference. Led by MFA candidates in Graphic Design, this workshop emphasizes collaboration and experimentation for all levels of experience.

Note: A laptop is not required but may be helpful during the workshop.

Kennedy Adams is a graphic designer and educator whose work explores the space between legibility and abstraction in typography. She uses experimental processes and unconventional materials to challenge traditional expectations of letterforms, often blending analog techniques with bold design. Her practice questions what makes type readable—or unreadable—and how meaning can be shaped through texture, rhythm, and form. By embracing material play and process-based making, she invites viewers to engage with typography not just as a tool for communication, but as a visual and tactile experience that pushes the boundaries of language and design.