New queer artists for prestigious mentorship program announced

January 13, 2022 Queer Forty Staff 3 min read

Queer|Art has had a big 2021 and will even have a bigger 2022 with a dozen talented LGBTQ+ artists joining its mentorship intake.

This community-based nonprofit with a mission to connect and empower generations of LGBTQ+ artists was founded in 2009 by filmmaker Ira Sachs. Born out of the recognition of a generation of artists and audiences lost to the ongoing AIDS crisis, Queer|Art serves as a ballast against this loss and provides artists with the tools, resources, and guidance necessary for achieving success at the highest levels of their chosen field.

Queer|Art is pleased to announce the twelve Fellows accepted for the 2022 Queer|Art|Mentorship program cycle, and the Mentors with whom they will be working:

Jose Abad with Mentor, Will Rawls (Performance)

JL Akagi with Mentor, Torrey Peters (Literature)

Frances Arpaia with Mentor, Angelo Madsen Minax (Film)

Mariam Bazeed with Mentor, Morgan Bassichis (Performance)

Clarissa Brooks with Mentor, Saeed Jones (Literature)

Antonius-Tin Bui with Mentor, Lola Flash (Visual Art)

Kei Kaimana with Mentor, Alexis De Veaux (Literature)

Ute Petit with Mentor, Jeffrey Gibson (Visual Art)

Xoài Pham with Mentor, Tourmaline (Film)

Joie Lou Shakur with Mentor, Silas Howard (Film)

Anh Vo with Mentor, Julie Tolentino (Performance)

Agustine Zegers with Mentor, Constantina Zavitsanos (Visual Art)

Now in its 11th year, the organization’s celebrated year-long creative and professional development program expands nationally for the first time, supporting both remote and in-person participation between early-career and established LGBTQ+ artists from across the country. In expanding nationally, Queer|Art|Mentorship bridges professional and social thresholds that often isolate artists by generation, discipline, and region. The 2022 cohort is made up of Mentors and Fellows participating across ten states: California, Connecticut, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Vermont, and Virginia.

The program supports a year-long exchange between emerging and established LGBTQ+ artists across four distinct fields—Film, Literature, Performance, and Visual Art. Fellows apply with a specific project they would like to work on during the program and meet each month with their Mentors to discuss their progress in the lead-up to this event. Fellows also meet each month as a group to learn from and provide support for one another throughout the year.

For the last decade, Queer|Art|Mentorship has nurtured the creative and professional development of over 179 artists and propelled the careers of a new generation of creators. Alumni of the program include: Camilo Godoy, Ryan J. Haddad, Saeed Jones, Jeanne Vaccaro, Geo Wyeth, April Freely, Tourmaline, Sasha Wortzel, Jess Barbagallo, Morgan Bassichis, Monstah Black, Yve Laris Cohen, Troy Michie, Angelo Madsen Minax, Tommy Pico, Justin Sayre, Eva Reign, Jacolby Satterwhite, Guadalupe Rosa.

The grand event was live streamed from The Whitney Museum of American Art, and was hosted by poet/performer Candystore and activist/drag artist Junior Mintt. This year’s Prize honored photographer, QA Board member, and Multi-Year QAM Mentor Lola Flash, and trans* poet, curator, and artist Anaïs Duplan with awards recognizing their significant contributions to queer culture and community. The Prize awards artists in two categories: Sustained Achievement and Recent Work. And in its debut year, the Black QAM Award was granted to poet, artist, and Multi-Year QAM Mentor Pamela Sneed.

Full details for Queer|Art here.