Who We Are & What We Do

art, events, blogs, and podcasts are all on the horizon.

retrospect

Back in 2016, the first ARTist's Pride was held. I organized it at a local gallery for the artists there (like me) who were told that they couldn't sell any of their work with a rainbow on it at our local Pride. It was a small, but fun, affair. Over the next couple of years it grew, and in 2018 we had hundreds of people come out to support the LGBTQ+ community and the local arts!

My intention in 2019 was to take a year off due to personal issues, gather some volunteers so it wasn't just me, and come back in 2020. Well, we all know what happened in 2020... In the interest of COVID safety, I didn't hold an event for several years following.

When it became time to think about bringing back ARTist's Pride, I realized that the lay of the land of Huntsville had changed for LGBTQ+ artists and allies. Rocket City Pride welcomes artists to sell rainbows now, and even the average gallery is not so restrictive about showcasing LGBTQ+ art.

I want events that are of the most service to both the arts community and the queer community, and my vision going forward has changed.

vision

Queer life can be difficult in the South. So difficult that we often get stuck in survival mode, and our life becomes nothing but fear, anger, and protests. While hard work and dedication to the cause of equality is absolutely valuable, so too is joy. Queer joy is precious and a requirement for living.

I believe that if we are always focused on what others are doing to us, we can never discover who we are or what we can do for ourselves. So I host events and spread information from a different narrative than external activism -- the narrative of Queer Joy and Self Discovery.

In joy we find our power, and when we stand in our power it is then that we can truly create change in ourselves and our community.