Community is intergenerational. In a weekend art show, we are asking young folk in the community to paint, draw, sketch, assemble, and write the future they want to inherit. This is both artistic expression and narrative change through various modes of storytelling. Worldbuilding is imagination; it is science fiction that invites us to work toward something real. If we want to do right by our youth, we should also listen to their instructions for ensuring their tomorrow is filled with rest, care, and joy. Join us for the opening night reception on Thursday, October 5th, from 5pm to 9pm at the Museum of Contemporary Art on the Upper Terrace of Paseo Nuevo, just off State Street. We will host members of the community, live performances, and the amazing young artists on hand to engage with visitors at this all-ages event.

ARTIST CRITERIA

LGBTQ+ BIPOC youth ages 16-24 years old are invited to use visual art media in a project of “worldbuilding.” Artists will be asked to imagine a world of joy; this is about creativity and imagination.

PROMPT

Imagine yourself in a world where justice & joy are the norms. Think about daily practices and frameworks. Think about systems and institutions. Think about the individual, the community, and the society. Think about our relationships to ourselves, to each other, to our communities, and to nature. What does that world look like, sound like, feel like?
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It is a little like science fiction; it involves imagination, creativity, and understanding the deeper issues and solutions that exist in our experiences, communities, elders, and ancestors.

Be specific! What area of life and living will you address in your work? Queer expression? Gender expression? Families? Housing? Environment? Transportation? Food? Care? Wellbeing and Mental Health? Grief? Arts? Immigration? Queer spaces? A spirit of community? Education? Aging? Birth? Death? Time? Media? You can explore so many aspects of life in this theme of worldbuilding.

This is your opportunity as a young queer BIPOC artist to create a set of instructions for your elders. Your work should consider the theme, “These are the instructions for you; this is a recipe for the world I want to inherit.”

One note: Because we are a nonprofit, we cannot feature political parties, political candidates, or advocate for elections. We believe that advocating for communities exists beyond electoral politics, and this is the space where we build community.

These will collectively act as a guidebook; the exhibition will serve as a map that gives those of us with experience, influence, and resources on the kind of world we should leave behind for these young people. We look to ColorBloq.org’s October 2020 publication, WORLDBUILDING: Imagining Worlds of Justice & Joy as inspiration for this exhibit.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

What kind of art / media?
You may consider different visual media, printed / written poetry, or video.

What if I am not queer? What if I am queer, but not BIPOC?
We appreciate all perspectives, and we are intentionally elevating the voices of queer youth of color because these voices are most often left out of these art spaces and conversations. Our producing nonprofit organization, ColorBloq.org, is committed to narrative change and storytelling from the queer & trans BIPOC perspective.

What if I'm not out? What if I haven't invited other people in?
You can submit your art and use a pseudonym or submit anonymously. We would only need a name and email for the $150 payment. We don’t want to put anyone’s safety at risk, or force anyone to share what they are not ready to share. Community care is our prime concern. Featuring art and artists at the exhibit, and through an artist meet & greet at the opening reception, could potentially be a risk to your privacy, and we will not endanger our young folks by placing them in harm’s way. You still deserve to share your art and your voice with the world, so let us know how to best keep you safe.

What if I live out of the area?
That's great! We want to welcome all QTBIPOC from across the West Coast to be part of SB Pride & Joy weekend. We hope that all artists are able to make it. Because we are a small community organization, we are unable to provide support for travel or shipping.

Is there any artist support?
We will be able to provide small stipends of $150 to each artist selected, up to a maximum of 15 artists for the exhibit.

Interested in participating? Add your name to our Artist Signup / Inquiry form