Queer|Art announces judges for annual grant for Black Trans Women visual artists
Interdisciplinary artist Jonathan Lyndon Chase, writer, curator, and activist Kimberley Drew, and model, performer, and fashion illustrator Connie Fleming will judge the entries for the $10,000 grant.
Queer|Art, NYC’s home for connecting and empowering generations of LGBTQ+ artists, announced the judges for the third annual Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists: interdisciplinary artist Jonathan Lyndon Chase; writer, curator, and activist Kimberly Drew, and model, performer, and fashion illustrator Connie Fleming.
About Jonathan Lyndon Chase
Jonathan Lyndon Chase is an interdisciplinary artist who works in painting, video, sound and sculpture to depict queer Black love and community amidst the back drop of urban and domestic spaces. Chase’s figures hang in various forms of articulation intertwined with domestic markers of a kitchen or a bedroom, they are then tethered by pop and street signage to blend emotional and physical, internal and external states of being. Rendered through layers of bright, visceral paint, makeup, foam and glitter these compositions challenge and subvert canonical misrepresentation and exclusion of the Black body. Chase was born in 1989 in Philadelphia, PA where they currently live and work.
About Kimberly Drew
Kimberly Drew is a writer, curator, and activist. Drew received her B.A. from Smith College in Art History and African-American Studies. She first experienced the art world as an intern in the Director’s Office of The Studio Museum in Harlem. Her time at the Studio Museum inspired her to start the Tumblr blog Black Contemporary Art, sparking her interest in social media. Drew’s writing has appeared in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Glamour, Playboy, and Teen Vogue and she has executed Instagram takeovers for Prada, The White House, and Instagram. Drew served as the Social Media Manager at The Met. She is the co-editor of Black Futures which she published in 2020 with Jenna Wortham.
About Connie (Girl) Fleming
Connie (Girl) Fleming is a performer, model, stylist, fashion illustrator, and undeniable New York City legend. As a renowned stage performer, she has graced iconic nightlife venues like the Palladium, the Tunnel, and the Pyramid; performed in various videos for George Michael, Chic, and Jody Watley; and appeared in the opening montages for Saturday Night Live and MTV News. Connie’s status as a fashion icon and cultural muse has led her to model for Thierry Mugler, Vivienne Westwood, and Andre Walker across New York and Paris. Her fashion drawings have been used to illustrate costumes for Beyoncé, Anastasia, Swarovski, and The Devil Wears Prada, among others.
Developed and named in partnership with Mariette Pathy Allen, Aaryn Lang, and Serena Jara, this annual $10,000 grant, awarded to draw attention to an existing body of work, sheds light on the under-recognized contributions of Black trans women visual artists and provides critical support to their continuing work. The first of its kind, the Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists aims to correct the exclusion of Black trans women from the larger art canon and uplift profound lineages of Black trans women artistic practices, mapping avenues for future generations of Black trans women artists.
The winning artist will receive professional development resources, including a studio visit with each participating judge, to bolster their creative development in the field. The grant will also provide a $1,250 award to four finalists, in addition to the $10,000 awarded to a winner each year.
Applications are open March 31 – June 30, 2022, and the grant will be awarded in September 2022. Learn more and apply now here!
About Queer|Art
Queer|Art was born out of the recognition of a generation of artists and audiences lost to the ongoing AIDS crisis, and in a profound understanding that one of the many repercussions of that loss has been a lack of mentors and role models for a new generation of LGBTQ+ artists.
Website: www.queer-art.org
Instagram: @queerart
