Image courtesy of the i-team.
All are invited to a queer art showcase and open discussion at Harvey Milk Park and Equality Plaza to participate in an event designed to foster the LGBTQ+ community’s artistic and economic culture by presenting queer art and discussing innovations in the art economy, the city announced.
The City of Long Beach Innovation Team (i-team) in collaboration with Work Evolution, Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez and the Arts Council for Long Beach will host the pop-up visual and performance art event this Thursday from 5:00PM to 7:30PM.
“I am looking forward to seeing the thought provoking and passionate art that has been created by these outstanding queer artists,” Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez said in a statement. “Harvey Milk envisioned a world where rights were won when voices were heard, and today we are hearing the voices of an important segment of the LGBTQ+ community.”
Attendees can expect to see paintings, printed photography and performance pieces showcasing expressions of the queer experience, identity and perspective. The selected works were made by artists who visit, work and live in Long Beach, and were submitted during an open call for art that explores the meaning behind “queer.”
Performances from local musician Mooney Starr and regional performing artist Marissa Lynn will take place at 5:00PM.
At 6:00PM, the Arts Council for Long Beach will host an Open Conversation session on the arts economy, featuring presentations from Karen Atkinson of GYST-Ink, an artist-run company providing resources, technology and solutions for artists, Sofia Chirico with Curensea, a digital art economy platform where works can be published, shared and supported and Myriam Gurba, local queer spoken-word artist, visual artist, and writer, followed by the open discussion.
Attendees are invited to learn about professional development, discuss economic innovations and share their individual experiences as creatives and advocates for art.
“There are many ideas and discussions about art that go on in our great city,” Griselda Suarez, executive director of the Arts Council, said in a statement. “Open Conversations provide a unique space for artists and art advocates to come together and engage in unexpected perspectives, and learn new approaches or trends that make the arts community strong.”
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“The Harvey Milk Park Project ‘Outdoor Collaborative’ concept, is part of the city’s broader economic development and i-team efforts to connect people and institutions through more open, diverse and inclusive public spaces for people to gather,” stated the announcement.
The Outdoor Collaborative, made possible with a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, is currently one year into the 18-month process focused on transforming Harvey Milk Park into an outdoor public space that encourages collaboration, entrepreneurship and connectivity, as well as celebrates the legacy of Harvey Milk and the LGBTQ+ community.
To learn more about the Harvey Milk Park Project and for more details on the Art Pop-Up, please visit the website here.