Local Burners have marched in the parade for years, but this was the first time we were represented in the festival. Plus, at the entrance of the festival, the Scarab mutant vehicle shared music and smiles. It housed “The Journey Project,” a large interactive art piece headed to Black Rock City, Russel the Electric Giraffe, a giant Scrabble game, Burner artists, and a travel-sized version of my camp, Pink Heart. This year the festival added a “Burner Village” section. Multiple stages filled with divas and dance beats are spread out among food booths and businesses vying for gay dollars. It not only shows where I am going, but where I have been as well.Immediately following the San Diego Pride Parade, there is a two-day Pride Music Festival in Balboa Park. This piece represents me and how I have changed throughout the course of seventeen years. I used the night to symbolize secrecy, to represent that I was only comfortable being myself in secret. It symbolizes what I have gone through, being at Catholic school and coming was very hard at first I felt like I could be myself in certain places and around certain people. Gays and lesbians get all the attention, but trans is so much harder for others to accept. The piece is meant to represent how I feel: almost out of control with my responsibilities and that I’m constantly worried I’m disappointing my loved ones and that I’m not enough.Īrt to support my trans rights. School of Creative and Performing Arts, 10th grade Perennials Endure, and Last Forever, Claire Guang This piece is in honor of my friend who has attempted suicide for being gender queer. Whether that be telling their parents or friends about their identity or finding social comfort and acceptance. Her talent took her to heights such as principal dancer of New York City Ballet for 13 years, and won her awards such as the Kennedy Center Honors for artistic contribution to the United States, the National Medal of Arts, and an induction to the National Women’s Hall of Fame.Ī portrait of a non-binary individual with many worrying thoughts exploding within their mind. Tallchief was a trailblazer for Native Americans in the world of dance and mainstream media. This painting depicts the accomplished Osage ballet dancer Maria Tallchief. Sometimes it can feel like you’re the only one in the world, but really friends and allies are everywhere if you look, just waiting for you to see them too! Reaching out to each other can be an amazing source of strength and love.Īltus Charter School of San Diego, 10th grade Here are a few of the many amazing pieces submitted at this year’s youth art show. For more information regarding San Diego LGBTQ+ Youth Programs, click here. The art exhibit is available for viewing until the middle of May at the San Diego Pride office. The following schools were represented this year: “We are a culmination of our intersections, bound together by our LGBTQ identities and ready to express ourselves to the greater community.” “The Art Show is an expression of our lives and how our identities affect our experiences,” said Edward Estrada, 17-year-old SCPA student and Pride youth volunteer.
We as Youth Program Coordinators are here to give them the support and guidance they need to be successful.” -Alex Villafuerte, San Diego Pride’s Marketing and Communications Manager “Programs like this art show are really about making a space where our youth can be empowered to realize their own vision. These young people from Pride’s Youth Programs envisioned the event, created their marketing materials, did their own outreach, hosted our guests and even provided the light snacks and refreshments. The entire event was built by and for LGBTQ+ youth. “The art has been compelling, inspiring, and sometimes even painful to see.”įrom 6pm to 8pm, more than 100 art lovers, youth supporters, faculty, family, friends and community members visited the art show. “The beauty of art is that it can give us a glimpse into the raw and authentic reality of these young LGBTQ+ lives,” said Fernando Lopez, San Diego Pride’s Director of Operations. Some of the narratives included difficulties with coming out, being comfortable in one’s own body, transgender issues and the ongoing struggle of expectations and acceptance. The purpose of the art show was to create a positive form of expression that would reflect the experiences, stories and emotions of today’s LGBTQ+ youth.
Twenty-three pieces were submitted by 21 LGBTQ+ artists from 14 different schools. This event was hosted by San Diego Pride youth volunteers as an opportunity for young people in our community to share their stories. On Saturday, March 11th, San Diego LGBT Pride, in partner with Art of Pride and The Trevor Project, hosted their first LGBTQ+ youth art show, We Are Here: Reflections of LGBTQ Lives.