LGBTQ+ arts program celebrates its decade at the U of A Art Museum

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) – The University of Arizona Museum of Art is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its groundbreaking, LGBTQ+-centered art exhibition, “Mapping Q.”

Launched in 2014 by Chelsea Farrar, now the museum’s curator of community engagement, the program began as a series of workshops for LGBTQ+ youth ages 13 to 24.

Since then, it has become an important cultural part of the Tucson community.

Mapping Q was originally conceived as a response to the lack of LGBTQ+ representation in traditional art spaces.

As Farrar reflected on the origins of the program, he recalled the original “mapping” element of the program, in which students wandered through art galleries trying to find LGBTQ+ representation.

“It started with a research question I asked while I was a student here at the University of Arkansas. What was it like to walk through an art museum and have an identity that perhaps wasn’t represented in the museum, in the art, or on the signs?” she said.

The exhibition “Still Queer After All These Years” features 35 artworks by 19 artists and tells the stories of LGBTQ+ youth of the last decade.

The artworks address not only personal problems but also broader social issues, including solidarity with other marginalized communities.

“The arts provide a space where they can create community, but also use creativity to see themselves and imagine a future that they can create,” Farrar said.

Farrar emphasized the program’s profound impact, noting that some of the early participants have returned to serve as mentors. “To have youth coming back now 10 years later… that’s what it was about – making sure those youth are still here.”

The exhibition will be on display through January 4, 2025, and will be complemented by additional programs throughout the year to ensure the continued existence of this important community resource.