UAMA's Mapping Q program marks its 10-year anniversary with a special exhibition celebrating the creative resilience of LGBTQ+ youth artists, both present and past.
Launched in 2014 in partnership with the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, this workshop series for LGBTQIA+ youth has expanded to partner with dozens of community organizations across Arizona. It has been a beacon of creativity and inclusivity, providing youth with an important platform for expression and exploration.
Every year since 2014, the UAMA has proudly presented an exhibition showcasing the remarkable artwork generated by participants of Mapping Q workshops. Mapping Q 2024: still queer after all these years showcases the work of today’s Mapping Q artists while welcoming back past program participants and teaching artists. By bringing together artists from different generations, this collection of artworks is a testament to the enduring impact of creative expression in fostering community, self-love, and understanding. Artists in this gallery reflect upon their identities, share their intersectional experiences as a disabled or neurodivergent individuals, and express their solidarity with other marginalized people.
As you explore the exhibition, note that some of the artworks speak to what it is like to be LGBTQIA+ youth today and what experiences and struggles they endure. Others express a joyful defiance to the dystopian future that our news and other media often portray, and counter with a positive queer future that allows them to thrive! Mapping Q celebrates these diverse voices and methods of creative expression, and we hope this exhibition serves as a space for dialogue and reflection on issues of identity and belonging.
This exhibition and related programming are made possible through generous support from the LGBTQ+ Alliance Fund held at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona.
Please note that this event has already taken place.
