Tucson Standard

The University of Arizona Museum of Art is celebrating 10 years of Mapping Q, an art-based program for LGBTQ youth, with an exhibit featuring works created by participants and teachers over the last decade. The exhibit, "Still Queer After All These Years," showcases 35 artworks by 19 artists.

Mapping Q was initiated by Chelsea Farrar, now curator of community engagement at the museum, during her time as a graduate student at the School of Art. Launched in 2014, the program offers an annual free workshop series for participants aged 13-24 to learn art skills and techniques while exploring topics such as self-care, community building, and harm reduction. To date, seventy-five young artists have participated.

"The arts provide a space where they are creating community but also using creativity to be able to see themselves and envision a future that they get to write," Farrar said. "So, they become the authors of their world, and that's really quite powerful."

She noted that this year's exhibition highlights the struggles and opportunities faced by LGBTQ youth and offers a vision of a thriving future. It also demonstrates solidarity with other marginalized communities, including those who are disabled or neurodivergent.

Among this year's exhibiting artists is Galen Dara, a graduate student in the School of Art. Her digital screen prints are part of the exhibit which she hopes will inspire visitors.

"There will be a wide range of different types of art and expression," Dara said. "People will get to see how these youths are stepping up in the world through a visual representation of their own art, enthusiasm and bravery."

Dara will lead a Mapping Q workshop on risograph printing in the fall using equipment from the School of Art's Book Art and Letterpress Lab to produce multiple prints for exhibition or sale.

"It's powerful for me in my own development as a human and artist to have my gender and sexual identity be part of the conversations I'm having with myself and with these young artists," Dara said. "Many of them may be further along than I am in being able to express and be confident with their identities."

Dara is also planning guest lectures on how youth can "write their own narrative as a queer-identifying person." Workshop dates and registration links will be posted on the Mapping Q website as they become available.

Farrar expressed optimism about Mapping Q's future growth beyond Southern Arizona.

"I would love to see us go statewide," Farrar said. "We had really successful virtual workshops during the pandemic, and we were able to work with people who may be living in areas that don't have a queer youth space. We'd love to do that again."

With continued support from university faculty and mentors, Farrar looks forward to seeing new ideas emerge from future generations of LGBTQ artists.

"I'm sure today's students will come up with even better ideas than mine, and I'm really excited that our university and the School of Art are great about supporting those creative ideas."

This year's Mapping Q exhibit runs through Jan. 4 in the Our Stories Community Gallery at the University of Arizona Museum of Art. A printed catalog featuring artwork from the exhibit will be released next year. Supported partly by the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona's Alliance Fund, there will also be a pop-up art fair on Oct. 5 where visitors can purchase works from participating artists. Admission proceeds during this event will support Mapping Q.

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