During the AIDS Crisis, a generation of artists and audiences were tragically lost. To give voice to those who have followed, to offer family and, guidance, filmmaker Ira Sachs founded Queer | Arts in 2009. His vision was to foster an intergenerational dialogue and provide the community with whatever it took to gain visibility and success.
Of particular note, QUEER|ART|MENTORSHIP (QAM) supports a year-long exchange between emerging and established artists in Film, Literature, Performance, and Visual Art.
Entering its fourteenth year, the QAM program has consistently fostered an environment where early-career artists are paired with established mentors. This facilitates a year-long journey of artistic and personal growth. The 2025 cohort includes twelve fellows from states like New York, Colorado, and California, ensuring a diverse range of projects.
Meet the Queer|Art Fellows
Visual Art
- Nathan Storey (He/Him): With Mentor Ken Gonzales-Day, Nathan is establishing an experimental press to amplify underrepresented queer artists.
- Francheska Alcántara (They/Them): Francheska is creating tactile sculptures with Mentor Liz Collins, using urban landscape materials.
- RIDIKKULUZ (Any Pronouns): Collaborating with Chitra Ganesh, they’re spotlighting Queer Palestinian resistance through art that explores grief and liberation.
Literature
- Lee Painter-Kim (They/Them): Mentored by Alexander Chee, Lee is writing about queer biracial identity against the backdrop of US-ROK relations.
- Ray Levy Uyeda (Any Pronouns): Under Mentor Stacy Szymaszek’s tutelage, Ray will craft a poetry collection that navigates the complex terrains of eco poetics, kinship, and identity, offering fresh perspectives on contemporary issues.
- M.K. Thekkumkattil (They/Them): Working with Mentor Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, M.K. will develop essays that critique the medical industry through the lens of a trans disabled writer, envisioning new paradigms of care.
Performance
- AZ Espinoza (They/Them): AZ will reinterpret Shakespeare’s King Lear with Mentor Raja Feather Kelly, focusing on themes of family dynamics and identity within a contemporary, storm-laden setting.
- SUNGJAE LEE (He/They): SUNGJAE is working on a performance installation about the commodification of queer Asian bodies, mentored by Young Joon Kwak.
- Reed Rushes (They/Them): With Mentor Erin Markey, Reed will create a multimedia performance that blends drag, dance, and digital media to explore the transformative potential of queer performance art.
Film
- Yash Zhang (He/They): Guided by Mentor Frédéric Tcheng, Yash will undertake a cinematic journey reconnecting with their mother, weaving together narratives of familial estrangement, mental health, and gender identity.
- Saudade Toxosi (She/Ze): In collaboration with Mentor Tabitha Jackson, Saudade will develop an experimental documentary that voices the stories of marginalized communities through the lens of environmental and spatial narratives.
- Jovan James (He/Him): Partnering with Mentor Andrew Ahn, Jovan will direct a feature film exploring the challenges of a Black, queer man striving to escape the confines of his upbringing and achieve his artistic dreams.
A Legacy of Support and Innovation
The QAM has nurtured talent that have gone on to venues like The Whitney Museum and Sundance Film Festival. Queer|Art’s mission is to foster artistic resilience and community care within the LGBTQ+ community. This year’s cohort promises to significantly impact the arts, embodying Queer|Art’s commitment to diverse and dynamic artistic expression.
For more on these artists and their upcoming projects, visit Queer|Art’s official website.
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