“Poems, Playlists, Recipes, and Rituals”: The Queer|Art Community Portrait Project Release Party celebrates the launch of the 2020 Community Portrait Project Publication, with commissioned photographer Felicita “Felli” Maynard and members of the Queer|Art|Mentorship community sharing some of their personal strategies for creative resilience in the form of a series of unique and lively offerings–including performances, readings, rituals, cooking demonstrations, and more! Presenting artists include: Felicita "Felli" Maynard, Candystore, Nelson Santos, Marco DaSilva, Heather Lynn Johnson, Olaiya Olayemi, and others to be announced soon.
As we approach the first anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an ongoing economic crisis, and the rise of visible fascist violence, we find ourselves needing each other's support more than ever. The 2020 Community Portrait Project (gallery now live) gave our community a chance to come together—while remaining socially distanced—and be photographed by commissioned photographer Felicita “Felli” Maynard as they considered how queer community has supported them through these transformative times.
On Thursday, January 28 at 6pm EST members of the Queer|Art|Mentorship community will be gathering (virtually) for the Queer|Art Community Portrait Project Release Party to share offerings from community members, organized around the subjects of collective care and creative resilience. Ranging from poems to playlists, recipes to rituals, these offerings provide wisdom gained through quarantines and uprisings, shared here as performances, readings, and discussions.
The night will also feature a conversation with Felli about their work on the 2020 Community Portait Project, as well as the presentation of the 2020 Community Portrait Publication, an unbound collection of Felli’s portraits combined with offerings from participating Queer|Art|Mentorship artists. The full line-up of presenting artists will be announced over social media during the days leading up to the event and as additional RSVPs are confirmed. To learn more, be sure to follow Queer|Art on Instagram.
We invite you to join us to receive these offerings!
All are welcome, though we suggest donating what you can for admission. 100% of all donations for this event will benefit the Queer|Art|Mentorship Giving Circle—an initiative that provides direct financial assistance to members of the Queer|Art community, to ensure all artists in our community have the support they need to meet their basic needs during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and beyond. Click here to learn more about the Giving Circle.
The first 50 people to donate $50 or more will also receive a complimentary copy of the 2020 Community Portrait Project Publication!
If you aren’t among that first generous crop of 50 donors, don’t worry—you can still get your hands on a copy of the publication! You can purchase your copy below. Again, Queer|Art will be paying your support forward; 100% of the proceeds will be directed towards the Queer|Art Giving Circle.
