Welcome to the queer art Project
In 2022, I decided I didn't want to have a face anymore. Wait. No. I mean my picture on Facebook. So, I asked people to paint me like a tomato. I then realized, what I could do instead was to get queer artists from around North Dakota to submit art for me to share each month. And I could pay them. And from the humble beginnings of wishing to be a faceless tomato, the queer art project started. Sadly, this is 100% true.
But really it's just a way to show that despite the hostility and hardships of North Dakota, we still have queer people and we are still expressing ourselves. |
rules
- Must be from North Dakota or impacted by North Dakota (border cities count or if you grew up here or spent time here.)
- Any media or medium is fine, I'll work with you if it's not strictly a tangible item such as poetry, music, or videos.
- You retain full rights to anything you submit to me and can request to revoke my right to share it at any time. I will do so without questions when asked.
- You will get 50 dollars or I will donate 50 dollars to a non-profit of your choice. If no choice is made, I will donate to Firstlink or Youthworks.
- You DO NOT need to be an expert or professional. Anything you feel happy or proud to share I want.
- Feature one artist each month, nobody is rejected, but you will be slotted into next open month.
- The submission is started by emailing me at [email protected]. After we make an agreement and you consent to the post, you'll get paid. At any point changes can be made at your digression.
what's included
- Picture or Pictures
- Art Title
- Art Description
- Artist Name
- Find Artist: Social Medias
This will be shared on Facebook, Instagram, and hosted on this website. Facebook is a requirement, but you can opt out of Instagram or this website.
Queer Artist of the Month
Sept, 2024
Artist: Alex Title: "Pride Junimos" Details
Art Description: The story starts in 2023. Our artist, Alex, bought some pride merch from a popular retail store. Just a few weeks later, the large corporation decided to turn its back on trans people and disrespect the work of queer and trans artists. Alex didn't want to own pride merch that was recognizable as merch from that corporation, but they also weren't going to waste a perfectly good pair of short overalls. So, Alex took a seam ripper to the old design and painstakingly cross stitched a design of six junimos in rainbow colors THROUGH DENIM. (Yes, they broke a needle or two during this project.) What could be gayer than little, rainbow creatures from the game Stardew Valley, a game where you can date any of the marriageable candidates regardless of their gender? Now if only we can convince the developer to add pronoun options... Find artist: @smallangryjunimo on Instagram and threads |
Queer Artists
August, 2024
Artist: Ellie Voydd Title: "Totality" Details
Art Description: promotional image for Ellie's album about america, friendship is magic, and gas station sandwiches. Socials and details - Ponkotsu_Ellie on IG, personal website is elucidatedvoyyd.neocities.org and she also runs the website cybergrunge.net. Her bandcamp is licknand.bandcamp.com |
July, 2024
Artist: Micah Louwagie Title: "Cloria" Details
Art Description: One of my favorite things about creating art is reflecting on people's faces, particularly the faces of those who have made a significant impact in my life. Though I only met Cloria once, I remember how her presence felt - steady, compassionate, and full of wisdom. Additional Details - Micah is open to pay what you like commissions and can be reached at ([email protected]) |
June, 2024
Artist: Elion Guitarfish Art Title: Eurylocust Bee: Gay Trans Icon Details
Art Description: Eurylocust Bee's wingsona emerges, proudly revealing his identity as a trans man bee to the vast multiverse. He joyfully buzzes through the interwebs IN STYLE, showcasing his unique persona with iconic flare. Prints of Euylocust Bee: Gay Trans Icon will be available for purchase later this month at both Parachigo and The Red Raven! Find artist: Social Medias Artist Website: https://elionguitarfish.weebly.com/ Visual Art Page: https://www.instagram.com/elionguitarfish/ Music Page: https://soundcloud.com/elionguitarfish |
May, 2024
Artist: Tofi Fen Title: My Life As A Teenage Blobfish Details
Statement/description: This is part of a series of cartoons that I started drawing at social gatherings this year, where I draw weird gay little animals, cryptids, and aliens, wearing gay little outfits with accompanying no-context quotes from myself and my weird gay friends. It's a way to remember and celebrate my friends and the time we share together. This one is a self portrait of sorts, and it represents how my first year of being out and on HRT felt. I was making a lot of drastic changes to my life and my body, the pressure and stress were all consuming. Naturally my loved ones have been concerned for quite some time, but unless a person has lived it, it's difficult to explain to cis people how the alternative is still much worse. Yes, the minority stress sucks, I am getting bald patches and have permanent dark circles at this point. But it's a stress that I can be proud of. It feels like my stress for once, and not the stress of a fake person I pretended to be for survival. I chose to represent myself as a blobfish for a few reasons. Something most people don't know about blobfishes, is that they are actually quite beautiful in their natural habitat. They don't look all goopy and exploded like that, until you bring them up to the surface. Their bodies are designed to withstand the pressure of the deep sea, so when they aren't being compressed anymore they essentially begin disintegrating- their tissues separate and their organs spill out, it's very gross. Then you get those sad images that come up when you Google "Blobfish". Humanity spent years laughing at how ugly and clumsy the blobfish is, how unsightly it is and how it doesn't look like it belongs in our world, because we had only seen blobfishes in a state of distress. It was only recently that we developed the technology needed to observe them in their natural habitat and watch how they exist on their own terms. When they are allowed to flourish in an environment that meets their needs, they are sparkling and graceful. The metaphor here, is probably quite obvious for most queer folks, neurodivergent folks, and anybody who has ever felt like "too much" for their small North Dakota town. Social media: IG: el_chav_heaux FB: Tofi Fen Schultz |
April, 2024
Artist: Onyx Mathena (They/Them) Title: Free-flowing Gender Expression Details
Statement/description: Since the death of Nex Benedict, I feel that non-binary people and other gender non-conforming people need more understanding and acceptance. I am non-binary myself and Nex's death is really upsetting to me, as it should be to everyone. So let us reject the binary, rejoice in the non-binary and be ourselves. Social media : Onyx Mathena or Young, Wild, and Weird |
March, 2024
Artist: Vyla Grindberg Title: Trans Frogs for TDoV Details
Artist: Vyla Grindberg, originally made for Transgender Day of Visibility 2023, March 31st, 2023. Vyla is a mapmaker, an adjunct instructor of GIS, and is currently president of UVRC, Umpqua Valley Rainbow Collective. She grew up in Fargo and is still connected to the community there. She sends her love! Art Description: inside of us are two frogs, and both are queer. Let’s celebrate those frogs Find Artist: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vyla.grindberg/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/vyla_grindberg |
February, 2024
Artist: Joe A. Larson Art Title: “Flower Fairy” Details
Art Description: I believe we all have a fairy within. This painting represents my inner fairy. I like the contrast of a man's masculine chest along with the wreath of flowers in their hair. (Medium: acrylic with gold leaf on canvas panel). -- This painting is not for sale--it was already purchased. Find Artist: He doesn't have a website, but he does post a lot of paintings on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/joe.larson.79/ |
January, 2024
Artist: Samantha Ramirez (she/her) Title: “How I Got This Far” Details
Samantha is a North Dakota artist transplanted from Southern California. Working primarily in watercolor and gouache, Samantha focuses on themes of mental health, trauma, religion, and fun. Although Samantha stopped making art as a theatre artist during the pandemic, art has remained more than just a hobby, becoming a form of healing more than anything else. She describes art as the part of her that connects everything inside. She has admittedly never thought of herself as a “queer artist” until recently, often thinking of the two identities as separate, but is just as happy to accept the intersection going forward. Art title: “How I Got This Far” Art Description: Samantha has had a long journey with mental illness that has gotten worse in recent years. Art has been the main thing that she connects with and she knows others often feel the same. |
December, 2023
Artist: ghostwav64 Art Title: Exquisite Corpse (Music) details
Art: https://youtu.be/C-LP32jgP9w Art Title: Exquisite Corpse Art description/statement: Exquisite Corpse is an electronic EP that pulls influences from ambient music, film scores, noise, industrial, drum and bass, jungle, breakcore, and hip hop. Artist: ghostwav64 also known as Liz Thomason Wilson pronouns she/her, from Fargo is a multimedia artist with a degree in film from MSUM whose mediums include music, film, and photography. Her journey with music began at the same time as her transition, using music to help process the many complicated feelings and emotions of being in the closet for most of her life. To accompany the EP she edited videos for each of the 6 songs, the videos use clips from a wide variety of media ranging from anime, film, factory footage, old TV commercials, wrestling, and more all open to the interpretation of the viewer. You can view the full visual album on her YouTube channel where she also occasionally posts movie reviews and video essays with more to come in the future. The album artwork was designed by Liz's partner Kristen Thomason Wilson pronouns (any/all) Find Artist: You can find her work on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghostwav64 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ghostwav64 |
November, 2023
Artist: James Christie (he/him) Em Christie (they/them) Art Title: " Through My Father-In-Law's Eyes" Details
Art Description: James Christie, a long-time photographer, was photographed taking pictures for two years - without his knowledge - by Em Christie, who is married to James' son. Em then paired James' own photography with the synchronous candids they took of James behind his camera, which provides a unique look into the field work of a photographer. This show was gifted to James on Christmas Day 2020, and James and Em now present it as their first artistic adventure together. |
October, 2023
Artist: Shelby Langei (CreepfactorArtStudio) Art Title: "Under the Surface" Details
Art Description: 'This is one of the pieces that Shelby has created under her main body of work. This piece is one of many that really encompasses the visions of old Scandinavian folklore that stories of which were a way to get away from illness as a child. Shelby now takes these fantastical ideas and brings them in full color on the page.' Shelby Langei (CreepfactorArtStudio): Shelby Langei is a North Dakota artist known for her ethereal illustrations, spooky sculptures, fantastical paintings, hand crafted jewelry, intricate fiber art, and unique tattoo designs. She opened Shelby's The Creepfactor Art Studio in 2014 during her college years and has since gained recognition in North Dakota and Minnesota. Despite dealing with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Shelby finds solace and inspiration in her art, using her pain to create depictions of strength through struggle. Her main body of work consists of series based on Scandinavian tales her grandmother shared with her as a child, allowing her to escape from her childhood illness. Shelby aims to inspire others with similar challenges to pursue their dreams and aspirations. Socials/Find Artist: https://linktr.ee/creepfactorartstudio @shelbysthecreepfactorart @shelbylangieart @creepfactorartstudio |
September, 2023
Artist: N/A Art Title: N/A Details
N/A |
August, 2023
Artist: Wolf Art Title: " Whims of Fate" (Short Story) Details
Art description/statement: This is an excerpt from a longer story in the works, under the same name as the title. As a queer artist, I strive to represent queer identities in my work, and this was my first foray into a much longer story featuring queer characters. Arlo, the POV character in this excerpt, is a gender non-conforming bi man. Finn, his companion, is a gay trans man. The story follows the two of them falling in love as they travel across their kingdom, searching for an escape from the responsibilities thrust upon them by their respective mentors. Artist: "Wolf" Chapter Excerpt From "Whims of Fate" It had been a week since we first arrived in Laurelbough. One long, exceedingly boring week. Unlike the little village on the edge of the kingdom we used to live in, it seemed that this town had a shortage of interesting things to do. The few stores that lined the dirt streets were small enough to pass as broom closets. The tavern was just as lackluster, and the accompanying inn two steps to the left looked more like a repurposed barn. Granted, Laurelbough was a farming village, but even the smaller farmsteads in the kingdom dwarfed the entire city! It was absurd. Finn was far less upset about it than I was. In fact, he seemed almost delighted to explore the town. I swear, that old buffoon Lenox must not have let him leave his training tower! It would’ve done him well to get out and spar with the others, like I did. Alas, that didn’t happen, and I was forced to follow him as he browsed every single store he could find. He didn’t spend any of the money we had brought with us, thank the heavens. If he had, we probably wouldn’t have been able to afford the room at the inn. Well, calling it a “room” was a bit of an overstatement. There was barely enough room in the dressers for our belongings, only a single bed, and the most pitiful-looking lantern I had ever seen in my life. Finn, thankfully, seemed just as disappointed with the size of our temporary shelter. He damn near froze when he saw the bed! I was also hesitant to share a bed with someone who I once considered to be an enemy, but honestly, it was like he was staring at a tombstone with his name on it. And I thought I was the sheltered one. The night that followed was far more eventful than either of us were expecting. Finn woke me up at about three in the morning with a frantic look on his face. “Arlo. Arlo. Get up!” I grunted, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I rose from the mattress. I was about to speak, but before I could, Finn covered my mouth, pointing out the window with his other hand. As I turned to see what had gotten him so worked up, what I saw certainly shocked me awake. A shadowed creature was standing mere inches away from the window, standing stock-still as it stared into our room. A cold chill of fear overwhelmed me, and Finn seemed to notice, as he tightened his grip on my face. It kept me from screaming, at least. After the initial shock wore away, I noticed that the monstrous being wasn’t staring at us. That was a relief. Instead, it was just watching the other side of our room, like it couldn’t fathom what it was seeing. After a long stretch of silence, it made a soft grunt and turned away, gait unsteady and off-kilter as it hobbled away from our window. Finn leapt off the bed, scrambling for his spellbook in the drawers as I attempted to make sense of what we saw. I had never seen a monster like that before, and had he not seen it as well, I would have easily brushed it off as a trick of the light. Finn returned to my side, holding his book tightly to his chest. “Arlo, do you know what that was?” “Why are you asking me? I’m not the magical expert!” I huffed, gesturing vaguely at the window. “That might as well have been a passing shadow, for all I know!” Finn bristled, letting out a few indignant sounds before flipping his spellbook open. After a few moments of leafing through the pages, he dropped the book on the bed, pointing at the page he had flipped to. On it, there was a crude drawing of a shadowy figure, hunched over and snarling like a beast. “That was a werecreature. I think it was a werehound, but I can’t be sure,” he mumbled to himself before whipping back around to face me. “But werecreatures don’t act like that. Shouldn't act like that. It’s well-known that they’re impulsive beings, so the fact that it wasn’t attacking us, just staring... that can’t be natural.” “So? If it didn’t attack us, then we have nothing to worry about. Go back to sleep.” I was about to roll back over, but Finn shook my shoulder again, keeping me upright. “The fact that there are werecreatures in this town at all is bad. The fact that they aren’t acting like werecreatures is even worse.” A grim look crossed Finn’s face. “Something’s wrong.” “And it’s something we can deal with-” I prodded his chest, glaring at him, “-tomorrow. I don’t have any patience to go gallivanting about in the middle of the night because something stared at us. I don’t know about you, but I fight better after a good night’s sleep. So, unless you want to go off on your own, I’d recommend that you put it off until tomorrow.” “But-” “Good night, Finn.” With that, I fell back against the bed, drifting off to sleep within moments. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much rest, because I was once again roused from my sleep. The sun was already beginning to creep up over the horizon, so it had been some time since my head had hit the pillow, but at least I was able to get a few more hours of rest before dawn broke. Finn was up and about, exhaustion darkening his gaze as he went back to pacing the length of our room. He was completely dressed, even going far enough to have his cloak draped over his shoulders. As I swung my legs over the bed, he spoke up, and if I hadn’t seen his haggard expression, I wouldn't have known how tired he really was. His mouth moved faster than his own feet were, and I could’ve sworn that he was starting to wear down the wax on the floor with all his pacing. “Okay, so I did a bit more research, and apparently, werecreatures are known to be unpredictable. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re impulsive, especially if they’re not aware that they’re afflicted with térasánthropy. This is very common for people who have recently been afflicted-” “Did you sleep at all?” “I'm not done. So, there’s a chance that we saw a fledgling werecreature last night!” Finn sounded breathless, like he had run laps around the inn while I was asleep. He might have done that, for all I knew. How else could he have stayed awake all night? “Alright, so why did you wake me up this early?” “Because I want to talk to the villagers before they head out to the fields,” Finn gestured to the farmland at the edge of the city.No one seemed to be tending the crops yet, but a few buildings were already bustling with energy, farmers and merchants alike strolling through the streets. “If any of them know anything, we’ll have to ask them about it now, or wait until they get home.” Finn stopped pacing, coming to a complete halt as he turned to look at me. I must’ve been pulling a face, because he seemed to shrink in on himself when he saw my expression. “Uh... I mean, I could go ask them. You can- um- you can stay here a bit longer.” “No, it's fine.” Despite how tempting the offer was, I hefted myself out of bed, grunting as I stretched my arms. He tried to insist that I rest a bit more, but I ignored it as I grabbed my bags, tuning out his rambling as I fished out my clothes. “The faster we get this over with, the faster we can turn in for the night. Besides, someone needs to keep the pickpockets away from you.” Finn had gone quiet as I changed. When I looked up, he was facing away from me, leafing through his spellbook again. Well, at least he stopped rambling. I packed the bare necessities for our trek across the village while Finn was busy fussing over his book, handing his notebook to him before turning for the door. I glanced back. I saw him staring at me, an unreadable expression on his face. “Are we going, or not?” Finn reacted like he was slapped, jumping to get his bags packed. I couldn’t help but chuckle as he nearly slammed face-first into the wall in his hurry. As soon as he was ready, he pushed past me, only to run directly into a signpost in his rush to leave the inn. I stifled my giggle, only to burst into laughter as I saw him fumbling to compose himself. He looked like a cat caught with its paw in the fishbowl, all flustered and caught off guard. After a few seconds, he stormed over and smacked my arm, huffing about my reaction before stomping off in the direction of the nearest house. I followed him, beaming the whole way there. |
July, 2023
Artist: N/A Art Title: N/A Details
Art description/statement: This is an excerpt from a longer story in the works, under the same name as the title. As a queer artist, I strive to represent queer identities in my work, and this was my first foray into a much longer story featuring queer characters. Arlo, the POV character in this excerpt, is a gender non-conforming bi man. Finn, his companion, is a gay trans man. The story follows the two of them falling in love as they travel across their kingdom, searching for an escape from the responsibilities thrust upon them by their respective mentors. Artist: "Wolf" Chapter Excerpt From "Whims of Fate" It had been a week since we first arrived in Laurelbough. One long, exceedingly boring week. Unlike the little village on the edge of the kingdom we used to live in, it seemed that this town had a shortage of interesting things to do. The few stores that lined the dirt streets were small enough to pass as broom closets. The tavern was just as lackluster, and the accompanying inn two steps to the left looked more like a repurposed barn. Granted, Laurelbough was a farming village, but even the smaller farmsteads in the kingdom dwarfed the entire city! It was absurd. Finn was far less upset about it than I was. In fact, he seemed almost delighted to explore the town. I swear, that old buffoon Lenox must not have let him leave his training tower! It would’ve done him well to get out and spar with the others, like I did. Alas, that didn’t happen, and I was forced to follow him as he browsed every single store he could find. He didn’t spend any of the money we had brought with us, thank the heavens. If he had, we probably wouldn’t have been able to afford the room at the inn. Well, calling it a “room” was a bit of an overstatement. There was barely enough room in the dressers for our belongings, only a single bed, and the most pitiful-looking lantern I had ever seen in my life. Finn, thankfully, seemed just as disappointed with the size of our temporary shelter. He damn near froze when he saw the bed! I was also hesitant to share a bed with someone who I once considered to be an enemy, but honestly, it was like he was staring at a tombstone with his name on it. And I thought I was the sheltered one. The night that followed was far more eventful than either of us were expecting. Finn woke me up at about three in the morning with a frantic look on his face. “Arlo. Arlo. Get up!” I grunted, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I rose from the mattress. I was about to speak, but before I could, Finn covered my mouth, pointing out the window with his other hand. As I turned to see what had gotten him so worked up, what I saw certainly shocked me awake. A shadowed creature was standing mere inches away from the window, standing stock-still as it stared into our room. A cold chill of fear overwhelmed me, and Finn seemed to notice, as he tightened his grip on my face. It kept me from screaming, at least. After the initial shock wore away, I noticed that the monstrous being wasn’t staring at us. That was a relief. Instead, it was just watching the other side of our room, like it couldn’t fathom what it was seeing. After a long stretch of silence, it made a soft grunt and turned away, gait unsteady and off-kilter as it hobbled away from our window. Finn leapt off the bed, scrambling for his spellbook in the drawers as I attempted to make sense of what we saw. I had never seen a monster like that before, and had he not seen it as well, I would have easily brushed it off as a trick of the light. Finn returned to my side, holding his book tightly to his chest. “Arlo, do you know what that was?” “Why are you asking me? I’m not the magical expert!” I huffed, gesturing vaguely at the window. “That might as well have been a passing shadow, for all I know!” Finn bristled, letting out a few indignant sounds before flipping his spellbook open. After a few moments of leafing through the pages, he dropped the book on the bed, pointing at the page he had flipped to. On it, there was a crude drawing of a shadowy figure, hunched over and snarling like a beast. “That was a werecreature. I think it was a werehound, but I can’t be sure,” he mumbled to himself before whipping back around to face me. “But werecreatures don’t act like that. Shouldn't act like that. It’s well-known that they’re impulsive beings, so the fact that it wasn’t attacking us, just staring... that can’t be natural.” “So? If it didn’t attack us, then we have nothing to worry about. Go back to sleep.” I was about to roll back over, but Finn shook my shoulder again, keeping me upright. “The fact that there are werecreatures in this town at all is bad. The fact that they aren’t acting like werecreatures is even worse.” A grim look crossed Finn’s face. “Something’s wrong.” “And it’s something we can deal with-” I prodded his chest, glaring at him, “-tomorrow. I don’t have any patience to go gallivanting about in the middle of the night because something stared at us. I don’t know about you, but I fight better after a good night’s sleep. So, unless you want to go off on your own, I’d recommend that you put it off until tomorrow.” “But-” “Good night, Finn.” With that, I fell back against the bed, drifting off to sleep within moments. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much rest, because I was once again roused from my sleep. The sun was already beginning to creep up over the horizon, so it had been some time since my head had hit the pillow, but at least I was able to get a few more hours of rest before dawn broke. Finn was up and about, exhaustion darkening his gaze as he went back to pacing the length of our room. He was completely dressed, even going far enough to have his cloak draped over his shoulders. As I swung my legs over the bed, he spoke up, and if I hadn’t seen his haggard expression, I wouldn't have known how tired he really was. His mouth moved faster than his own feet were, and I could’ve sworn that he was starting to wear down the wax on the floor with all his pacing. “Okay, so I did a bit more research, and apparently, werecreatures are known to be unpredictable. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re impulsive, especially if they’re not aware that they’re afflicted with térasánthropy. This is very common for people who have recently been afflicted-” “Did you sleep at all?” “I'm not done. So, there’s a chance that we saw a fledgling werecreature last night!” Finn sounded breathless, like he had run laps around the inn while I was asleep. He might have done that, for all I knew. How else could he have stayed awake all night? “Alright, so why did you wake me up this early?” “Because I want to talk to the villagers before they head out to the fields,” Finn gestured to the farmland at the edge of the city.No one seemed to be tending the crops yet, but a few buildings were already bustling with energy, farmers and merchants alike strolling through the streets. “If any of them know anything, we’ll have to ask them about it now, or wait until they get home.” Finn stopped pacing, coming to a complete halt as he turned to look at me. I must’ve been pulling a face, because he seemed to shrink in on himself when he saw my expression. “Uh... I mean, I could go ask them. You can- um- you can stay here a bit longer.” “No, it's fine.” Despite how tempting the offer was, I hefted myself out of bed, grunting as I stretched my arms. He tried to insist that I rest a bit more, but I ignored it as I grabbed my bags, tuning out his rambling as I fished out my clothes. “The faster we get this over with, the faster we can turn in for the night. Besides, someone needs to keep the pickpockets away from you.” Finn had gone quiet as I changed. When I looked up, he was facing away from me, leafing through his spellbook again. Well, at least he stopped rambling. I packed the bare necessities for our trek across the village while Finn was busy fussing over his book, handing his notebook to him before turning for the door. I glanced back. I saw him staring at me, an unreadable expression on his face. “Are we going, or not?” Finn reacted like he was slapped, jumping to get his bags packed. I couldn’t help but chuckle as he nearly slammed face-first into the wall in his hurry. As soon as he was ready, he pushed past me, only to run directly into a signpost in his rush to leave the inn. I stifled my giggle, only to burst into laughter as I saw him fumbling to compose himself. He looked like a cat caught with its paw in the fishbowl, all flustered and caught off guard. After a few seconds, he stormed over and smacked my arm, huffing about my reaction before stomping off in the direction of the nearest house. I followed him, beaming the whole way there. |
June, 2023
Artist: Megan Conklin; Beach, North Dakota Art Title: Aurora Borealis Details
Art Description: The Aurora Borealis explores themes of natural and yet unusual beauty. Queerness is colorful and beautiful and rare and should be a mystery that we have Revere in awe and wonder, like the Northern Lights. Find artist on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/725misaamane/ |
May, 2023
Artist: Faye Seidler Art Title: Not a Single One, Without a Fight Details
Art description: This piece focuses on a cover of the January 2022 edition of the High Plains Reader titled, "Giving Hope to North Dakota Queer Youth." After writing about the awful outcomes these youth experienced for years, I knew I had to switch to writing about and building hope. In suicide prevention work, framing the positive is a researched and proven method to combat suicidality. No matter how much I want to lash out with my own pain and frustration, those feelings mean nothing compared to my desire to create a world where our queer youth can feel joy, love, and hope. I work through tears, so these youth can see smiles. Surrounding this paper is 34 cans of Reign Energy drink. that represents 10200 milligrams of caffeine and an absolute lethal dose. Throughout my work in the legislative session of 2023, I was averaging 600 milligrams of caffeine every day. I worked every single minute of free time given to me for nearly 3 months, typically resulting in 12-16 hour days. These cans are seen crowding the paper and serve to represent this struggle between taking care of myself and trying to take care of others. Caffeine being the perfect pharmakon that both gives and takes, the poison and the cure. And that all things in excess are bad or even lethal, showcasing as warning that the work I do and sacrifices I make of myself do add up. In this regard and within this lens, it serves to criticize myself. Another feature is that the cans are lower in elevation and an obscured to the point of being a stylistic background choice rather than core elements of the piece. This serves to visually also represent the work I pour into trying to keep youth safe. Work that is often invisible to others who often just see what I write. I didn't choose the cover art for the paper and I don't tonally agree with it, but I understand why it was chosen and does reflect the challenges I write about. I choose this piece from more than a year ago, in connection with the reign cans I drank during the legislative session, to create a narrative throughline that I will never give up. I was doing this long before this session started and will be doing it after. The title represents this commitment to the work and acknowledgment that we can't save everyone, but we can fight like hell to not lose anyone. |
April, 2023
Artist: Raven LeFors Art Title: Thoughts in My Head Part 1: Respite Details
Art description: Acrylic paint on canvas. Art therapy to help ease the struggle of anxiety. When words are too much or not enough, art can help release feelings, thoughts, or insecurities. Often giving the artist a break from the thoughts in their mind and offering a different perspective in which to observe and identify different aspects of themselves. The act of creating is also a physical release of energy allowing the artist to “let go,” and find relief, even if it is only for a moment. Artist: Raven LeFors, Forever 16, she/them in August of 2022. Submitted by: Asheley Lefors in Tribute |
March, 2023
Artist: Libby (they/them) Art Title: "Eyes" (Shirt) Details
Art description: This is my first time painting with bleach. I love this sweatshirt for the numerous hours and creativity I put into it to fill it up completely. I work with many mediums and usually like to do faces, bright colors, and punk themes. Artist credit: Libby (they/them) Find/Support Artist: Instagram - @things.by.libby |
Feb, 2023
Artist: Ambrose Powell Art Title: Waves Details
Art description: I've been exploring abstract ink drawings for the past year. My roommate really encouraged me along this journey. Each piece I make gets more detailed and complicated. Art for me is a meditative process and it grounds me in a world that is chaotic and unstable. I haven't really shared my art outside my close friends until now. I actually launched a ko-fi so I can share them as coloring sheets. I'm currently working on coloring this piece (not the original, I'm too scared to do that!) with purples, blues, and greens. I may start an art Instagram but for now ko-fi is the place you can find my art! Find/Support Artist: https://ko-fi.com/ambrosepowell |
January, 2023
Artist: Toridwaters Jean Art Title: GODDESS Details
Art description: Mixed media, graphite, archival ink, 14k gold gilding Artist credit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/forest.fae https://www.instagram.com/shop.forest.fae https://www.instagram.com/toridwaters @Toridwaters Jean |
December, 2022
Artist: N/A Art Title: N/A Details
N/A |
November, 2022
Artist: Ambrose Powell Art Title: Waves Details
Art description: I've been exploring abstract ink drawings for the past year. My roommate really encouraged me along this journey. Each piece I make gets more detailed and complicated. Art for me is a meditative process and it grounds me in a world that is chaotic and unstable. I haven't really shared my art outside my close friends until now. I actually launched a ko-fi so I can share them as coloring sheets. I'm currently working on coloring this piece (not the original, I'm too scared to do that!) with purples, blues, and greens. I may start an art Instagram but for now ko-fi is the place you can find my art! Find/Support Artist: https://ko-fi.com/ambrosepowell |
October, 2022
Artist: Elle Art Title: Welcome to the Tragic Kingdom Details
When I was in graduate school, I took courses in diverse children’s literature. It was one of those “once you see it, you can’t unsee it” kind of experiences. At the time I was in the course, 85% of the protagonists in children’s books were male. The most commonly banned and challenged books include books about race, Civil Rights, and gay penguins. When characters are “coded” as diverse characters, often they are animals (many books set in Africa use animal characters so authors and illustrators can get around cultural requirements of depicting Black African people, who represent a rather diverse population). While I was paging through these Berenstain Bear books for this collection, I was surprised to find a queer-coded character. I was amused that her name was Queenie (that’s a pretty gay name, if we’re honest). I was disappointed that she is a bully; why must the only queer-coded character be a villain? Sigh. “Tragic Kingdom” (by No Doubt) is a song about the “underside” of the Magic Kingdom. What a fitting time. Florida’s Don’t Say Gay bill inspired a huge protest by Disney World employees. Even though Disney appears to be a pro-LGBTQ+ corporation on the surface by having pride parades and such, the company in fact donated significant funds to multiple state lawmakers who backed the anti-queer bill. Tragic Kingdom, indeed. "Welcome to the Tragic Kingdom" is a 6 x 6-inch mixed media on handmade cotton paper. Statement on the collection: What artifacts were a lynchpin of your identity formation? Elle has worked with vintage texts for several years; upon recognizing that their childhood in the 1990s was now under the category heading “vintage,” they began pouring over their childhood and adolescent treasures in search of the pop culture influences that formed their expectations for relationships and gender roles. Bear Country pairs illustrations from the children’s book series The Berenstain Bears, with lyrics from an “iconic” playlist Elle curated from their friends in the Gen X / Millennial cohort. After years steeped in so-called identity politics, one has to ask: how much of our identity did we choose? When Elle moved back to their hometown after a prolonged absence, they used this series of work to excavate and name the pieces of vintage pop culture that had silently buttressed their identity. With illustrations from vintage Berenstain Bears books collaged between bubblegum-infused layers of paint and the scrawled lyrics of the songs from Elle’s friends, each painting asks the viewer to consider where – and when – their ideas for contemporary adulthood originated. Find Elle: FB: https://www.facebook.com/elleandwink, Instagram: @elleandwink, or buy art direction: www.elleandwink.com/shop |
September, 2022
Artist: Emily Art Title: "Bright Beaks are Common in the Jungle" (Poem) Details
Description from Artist: The background image is not mine, but the words are. Most recently, it feels like any innate joy must be quashed for fear of the light bringing awareness to those stuck in the dark. Why is my exuberance, my joy, so frightening? So, as the poem states, I will wear my feather boa, string my pearls across my breasts, and enjoy the colors of the world... Because ... why not... Find Emily: www.emilyvieweg.com/ Email: [email protected] |
August, 2022
Artist: N/A Art Title: N/A Details
N/A |
July, 2022
Artist: Erik Arthur Art Title: Abstract Equality Details
Description from Artist: Everyone, no matter what color (skin or rainbow) should be equal or experience equity. Follow on Instagram: @erikthebravest and Facebook: Erik Arthur |
June, 2022
Artist: Anna Johnson Art Title: "I walk With Two Spirits II" Details
Description from Artist: This piece is a relief carving that I made at a residency at the plains art museum a few years back. It’s in the permanent collection and also wrapped on a utility box downtown on np and Roberts in front of the NDSU Renaissance Hall. Artist: Anna Johnson Follow on Instagram @Anna_jFlying7s And Facebook Anna Johnson |
May, 2022
Artist: Ren Gay Art Title: N/A Details
Follow on Instagram: @rkgcollage |
April, 2022
Artist: N/A Art Title: N/A Details
Follow on Instagram: @rkgcollage |
March 31st, 2022
Artist: Faye Seidler Art Title: My Terrible Art to Inspire You! Details
Artist Statement: There was no Artists for March of 2022, the art project wasn't really fully formed yet and I wanted to threaten people with my terrible stuff! In honesty, I wanted people to feel comfortable submitting. That art didn't have to be grand, just personal. |