Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Arts Exhibition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Queer Art Salon opens in CAH gallery; grant allowed artist stipends and accessibility features
Summary
Cofounder Abby Ellis McClain described the Queer Art Salon exhibition — funded by a CAH arts exhibition grant — that opened June 13 and runs through Aug. 1, noting stipends, documentation, and accessibility features including translations and a visual-descriptive tour.
Abby Ellis McClain, executive director of Touchstone Gallery and a cofounder/curator of Queer Art Salon, told the Commission on the Arts and Humanities on June 16 that the exhibition opened Friday, June 13, and will remain in the commission gallery through Aug. 1.
“...we were so, so happy to be awarded this arts exhibition grant for 2025,” McClain said. She told commissioners the grant enabled the curators to offer artist stipends, secure documentation and headshots for participating artists, and include space and resources without relying on ad hoc arrangements.
McClain said the exhibition features 29 artists and an online catalog accessible by QR code; the website lists images, artist statements and contact information. The exhibition also includes translations in Spanish, American Sign Language, Vietnamese and braille, and staff planned to launch a visual-descriptive tour the day after the meeting to provide audio descriptions and curator commentary for visitors who are blind or visually impaired.
Why it matters: Commissioners and staff framed the project as supporting a wider spectrum of queer artists and increasing access. Reggie Van Lee, chairman, encouraged the public to visit: commissioners “really, really encourage you to come by and see it and experience it,” he said.
Ending: The commission’s gallery schedule and program listings on dcarts.dc.gov show the Queer Art Salon on view through Aug. 1 with related public programs and performances scheduled by the curators.
