Blog
What Queer Art Changed Your Life?
At the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, we believe art is for everyone. Year-round, we proudly serve as a creative hub for a vibrant community of makers from a wide range of backgrounds, identities, and life experiences; and especially this month, VisArts is proud to celebrate and support Richmond’s LGBTQIA+ community.
In honor of Pride Month, we asked three friends of VisArts about the queer art that has impacted their lives. We know that for these artists, and many others, it’s hard to choose just one example; but here’s what Z., Hermie, and DJ had to say:
What queer art changed your life?
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- Z. Ingram (they/them)
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- A sample of Z.’s work
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- The queer art that inspires them
“Paris Is Burning (1990). I was 11 or 12 when I first saw it. It not only changed my life, it opened my eyes to a world beyond the one I lived in. I could imagine a world where I curated my own family and community. That family and community exists for me today, and I am a better person because of them.”
—Z. Ingram (they/them), VisArts teacher, calligraphy artist, lover of words | @bossybyzi
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- Hermie Jackson (they/them)
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- An example of Hermie’s work
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- The queer art that inspires them
“I find myself and my art continuously changing every day in witnessing what collective queer imagination has gifted this world… With all that being said, one artist who does come to mind is one of VisArts’ very own: Chris Aidala.
Chris is an exceptionally hardworking and imaginative glass artist, whose art and practice align deeply with what I value most when creating: authenticity to oneself and appreciation for the simple and silly things we encounter in this world.
Chris’s work reflects glimpses of their everyday life; from reality TV shows they love, to things that they spot on the street like traffic cones and cigarette butts. At the same time, they dedicate a number of their pieces towards fundraising and mutual aid, and use their platform to speak openly about pressing issues affecting marginalized communities near and far. They demonstrate, both through their actions and their art, that to try and separate the niche components that make us individuals from our politics and morals is to remove the very heart of what makes that art our own.”
— Hermie Jackson (they/them), VisArts teacher, multidisciplinary artist with a focus in ceramics and screenprinting | @wormworksceramics
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- DJ Cummings Herdoiza (he/him)
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- An example of DJ’s work
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- The queer art that inspires him
“RENT is a period piece. It showed me a version of New York and of community that felt real. Growing up in NYC in the 1990s, I remember the cultural moment it arrived into through my family’s eyes. It centered queer people, artists, and people living with HIV/AIDS, daring audiences to see them through a lens of love and resilience. Vivid memories of watching the original Broadway production and seeing my Latino, Catholic family moved to tears won’t ever leave me. It showed me a depth to their character I hadn’t yet seen, years before my own coming out experience. It expanded queer visibility in mainstream culture, gave us a soundtrack that still hits, and proved to me that you can affect anyone through the power of music and theatre.”
— DJ Cummings Herdoiza (he/him), VisArts Guest + Student Services Manager, actor/singer
What queer art changed your life? Join the conversation and shout out your favorite queer creators over on our Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook.