queer artists

For queer people of color, art making is survival.

Artistic mediums always have innovators, those people who weren't afraid to try new things with paint, words, light, film. Director Jeffery Schwarz's new film I Am Divine creates a portrait of how revolutionary drag superstar Divine brought drag from society's margins to the mainstream in his fearless and innovative way. 

Vancouver artists Jen Crothers and Kona have created a delightfully nerdy project to raise awareness of queer language and its evolution, and to raise money for the local organization Out in Schools, which educates young people about homophobia and bullying. It's called the Queeriodic Table, and it's going places.

Image by Edie Fake

Did someone say 120 perfect-bound pages of comics by queer artists? Gay Genius, an anthology of comics and graphic art is edited by small-press superstar Annie Murphy (featured on our blog here) and will be published by Sparkplug Comics--but it needs your help before it gets there.

I first heard Riva Lehrer's name when I spoke with Ann Fox and Jessica Cooley about curating shows dealing with art and disability. Actually seeing her work though, was inspiring. A Chicago-based painter whose work speaks to identity and disability through her beautifully rendered portraits, and I don't think I can put it better than Art Critical does when they describe her style as "crisply observed realism mixed with fantastically contrived settings."