Halftone Zine Fest

For its 13th year, the Halftone Zine Fest (formerly known as the Ephemera Festival & the Kentucky Fried Zine Fest) will take place on Saturday, May 16, 2026 from noon-5:00 PM at the University of Kentucky’s School of Art & Visual Studies (SA/VS). This event is free for all ages and open to the public. Vendors will be displaying zines (independently produced magazines), comix, and printed art in a variety of forms. The organizers intend to create an inclusive space for individuals to meet, interact, and learn from one another about DIY publishing.

Featuring a panel that will take place during the day as well as a pop-up art exhibit.

2 p.m. - J.T. Dockery - Two-Headed Beast: A BayerHell Panel w/ Hyena Hell & Josh Bayer

What does it mean to dedicate your life to your work? Comics creators and power couple Josh Bayer (author of Ignatz nominated Tomorrow Forever and Unended, and the new Utzy and Dusty books) and Hyena Hell (creator of the cult favorite “Demons” series from Silver Sprocket) discuss their comics practices, their roles as comics educators, and their unconventional relationship, a cross-country collaboration of their lives and their art. Moderated by J.T. Dockery, creator of the DESPAIR comics series and Juanita & the Frog Prince (in collaboration with writer Ed McClanahan, published by the University Press of Kentucky).

12 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Muse Collective - On the Line  

This pop-up event hosted by Muse Collective invites you to bring one small object to hang, contribute, and fold into a living, shifting display for the day. The only rule: it must be able to clip onto a clothesline. What you bring is entirely up to you—an artwork, a photograph, a handwritten letter, a favorite recipe, a found object, or something that resists definition altogether.

Rooted in a DIY spirit, the event embraces spontaneity and change. Throughout the day, the line will evolve as new pieces are added, rearranged, or exchanged, becoming a collective expression shaped in real time. It’s less about what something is and more about what it carries—an idea, a memory, a gesture of connection. Bring something meaningful (or curious), clip it up, and take part in a shared experience that adapts and transforms as it goes. 

*At the end of the festival, participants may retrieve their object, or make arrangements to retrieve it at another time.

Founded on the principles of generosity, community-building, and a collaborative spirit, Muse Collective creates opportunities for artists to unite, share their work, and exchange ideas across the Bluegrass region and beyond. Named after the Greco-Roman mythological muses — nine sister goddesses who inspired practitioners of the liberal arts and sciences — Muse Collective embodies an ever-growing network of creatives committed to cultivating and nurturing ideas wherever they may be. Muse Collective was established in 2024 by Lexington-based curators Samantha Simpson and Becky Alley.