The QUEER|ART ARTIST EDITION is an annual neon sculpture commission, celebrating the work of contemporary artists in our community while paying homage to the queer trailblazers who came before them.

Each year, Queer|Art commissions an artist in our growing community to create a neon sculpture that honors a queer icon of their choosing. To produce the work, the selected artist collaborates closely with Lite Brite Neon Studio, a New York-based fabrication studio specializing in artist collaborations, commercial installations, and custom lighting designs. Now in its second year, proceeds from the edition provide direct support to Queer|Art artists and our extended community.

Queer artists have long mobilized the evocative qualities of neon to shed light on overlooked narratives and expand their practice in innovative ways. 2024 QAM Mentor Demian DinéYazhi ́, 2019 QA Prize Finalist Ja’Tovia Gary, 2023 Illuminations Grant Judge Puppies Puppies (Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo), 2011-2012 QAM Mentor Deb Kass, and 2023 Robert Giard Grant Judge Benjy Russell are just a few of the creatives pushing the medium’s boundaries. The Queer|Art Artist Edition seeks to continue this legacy of queer light-sculpting, all while raising funds for a positive cause.

2024 COMMISSION: JEFFREY GIBSON

The 2024 Queer|Art Artist Edition was granted to multi-year Queer|Art|Mentorship Mentor & recent US representative at the 2024 Venice Bienniale, Jeffrey Gibson.

His new work, My heart beats for the one I love, borrows its name from “Heartbeat,” the 1981 hit single by disco/R&B singer Taana Gardner, and a personal favorite of Gibson’s. As Gibson states, “The release of this song coincided with the onset of the AIDS crisis and the loss of innumerable lives. The lyrics speak about loving, longing and heartbreak… I hope [the lyric] causes the viewer to think about someone, or a community, who they love and are loved by.”

The center of the piece is a drum fabricated in close collaboration with Lea Lattie of Earth Maidens, a North Carolina-based studio known for Indigenous crafts and instruments. The batter head of the drum features a glowing heart, conflating the embodied beat of one’s heart with the sonic rhythm of the percussive instrument. Animated with rainbow hues, My heart beats for the one I love illuminates a visual metaphor woven from popular culture, markers of queer intimacy, and collective cultural identity.

100% of proceeds, after fabrication costs, will be split directed toward supporting Queer|Art’s administrative and operating costs. To inquire about purchasing the work, contact Río Sofia (rsofia@queer-art.org.)

ABOUT LITE BRITE NEON STUDIO

Lite Brite Neon Studio is a collective of craftspeople that specializes in the production of neon art, display, luminous visual props and architectural lighting through a collaborative approach. They seek to transform and transmit the power of light art and display as a viable medium to convey the mystical truths that surround us in everyday life. Their work has graced the facade of the Venice Biennale; appeared on the cover of the New York Times, Artforum, and Print Magazine; in the windows of MoMa, Tiffany & Co., and Bergdorf Goodman's; and can be found in museums, galleries, and other visual displays worldwide. They also serve as a resource for the preservation and restoration of historic neon art and displays for many private and public collections including the Dia Center for the Arts, MoMa, and the Whitney Museum of Art.

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