Ruth Arts Mary L. Nohl Alumni Professional Development Workshops

The inaugural (2023) Nohl Alumni cohort—Tyanna J. Buie, Colin Matthes, Cris Siqueira, and Sonja Thomsen— began by collectively examining and responding to their specific needs. We were all struck by the wealth of knowledge and experience lodged within this small group, and at their final convening in June 2024, the 2023 cohort outlined an Alumni program that identified opportunities for current and former Nohl Fellows. They proposed tools for mutual support within the broader community of Nohl Fellows.

Their first experiment is a pilot series of professional development workshops for artists. The subjects range from proposals for career advancement, to the ins and outs of indie publication, to drafting “a mutual aid document specifically designed for the Nohl Alumni community.” Some are for specific audiences, others are directed at the entire Nohl alumni community. The series is being presented by the 2023 Alumni Awardees over the course of several months. Each virtual session i open to the community of 100+ former Nohl Fellows. Acting in its administrative capacity, Lynden agreed to facilitate these mutual aid sessions by hosting the Zoom links, promoting them to the Nohl alumni community via our mailing list, making the recordings of each session available to the public afterward.

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Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Cris Siqueira (Nohl 2013): Indie Publishing for Artists

Cris Siqueira hosts a discussion about independent publications produced by artists, from pamphlets, to zines, to chapbooks and beyond. This workshop will share resources covering every step of the self-publishing process, including printing alternatives and tips on how to get the work out in the world.

About the Panelists
Cris Siqueira is a Brazilian-born artist and co-owner of the Lion's Tooth bookstore. She has earned master's degrees in Film and History from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is working on her first long-form comic. Cris also works as a therapeutic art specialist and translates graphic novels to Portuguese for the Brazilian market. BearBear is a self-publishing Risograph studio led by artists Diana Chu and Ben Grzenia. In addition to ad hoc commissioned work, BearBear partners with local artists, hosts educational workshops, and runs an indie publishing imprint to produce limited edition, short run artist books.