Bernie Witzack is co-president of Madison's printmaking collective, Polka! Press, and the artist behind bernie & zuzu, which sells small-batch hand-printed apparel, prints and home goods.

Isthmus art director Tommy Washbush first met Bernie a dozen years ago, and has followed her art career since. In August 2025 he wrote about Polka! Press’s new location.

“Bernie is a talented and active member of the local art scene, and I see her all the time at various art fairs and markets. Her involvement with the community and art education made her seem like a great fit for an issue centered around nonprofits,” he says.

Bernie pitched several ideas, centering around abstract shapes, vibrant colors, and community. Her designs based around flowers growing together had the symbolism that best matched the themes of our annual nonprofit issue. Bernie created a physical screen print, a first for Isthmus since our return in 2021. The last piece of physical art to grace an Isthmus cover was coincidentally Ric Stultz’s painting for the 2025 nonprofit issue.

The final result is a six-layer screen print featuring a colorful garden with connected roots, a metaphor for Madison’s nonprofit community.