This year, the Community Portrait Project takes the form of a beautiful, unbound publication comprised of a scrapbook-like compilation of strategies for creative resilience offered by the photographed artists.

Each publication comes encased in a glossy tarot card-sized box, perfect for taking it on the go. In addition to the complete suite of artist portraits shot by 2020 Queer|Art|Mentorship Fellow Felicita “Felli” Maynard, each deck contains a diversity of handmade offerings, including poems, playlists, recipes, rituals, reading lists, drawings, and assorted artworks.

In that same spirit of collective care, Queer|Art is paying your generous support forward. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Queer|Art|Mentorship Giving Circle, an initiative launched in May 2020 in response to the COVID-19 crisis that helps ensure no artist in our community goes without basic needs as we navigate this pandemic together. The Giving Circle pools donations from members of our community and provides direct financial aid to artists who need support defraying the cost of essentials. Learn more about the Giving Circle here.

As we reflect on the current state of affairs and look for inspiration in the legacy of creative resilience that has shaped our community’s survival for decades, a deck of vibrant portraits alongside a collection of artist procedures for holding steady together feels like the perfect gift we can give ourselves.