Queernesseseseses: Exhibition & Summer Finale- Aug 10

Art of Solidarity partners with Bmore Liberated, Mayor’s Office of Employment Development’s YouthWorks, and CASA de Maryland’s ESCALERA employment programs, to train youth in community organizing, event planning, oral history collection, and arts adminsitration. They co-lead mural arts workshops that address sexuality and gender identities under the guidance of Maria Gabriela Aldana and Bmore Liberated therapists. Together, they will connect people to various community members, build awareness of mental health services, strengthen neighborhood relationships, and plan for a public beautification project on Fayette Street by Summer 2025. 

The public is invited to participate in a oral history project  “Who and what is queerness in Baltimore?” to highlight excellent LGBTQIA+ leadership through nominations. Local queer leaders, artists, businesses and innovators will be interviewed virtually between July 16 and August 2nd. Youth Leaders publish the project as video shorts that will be available to the public on the Art of Solidarity website (www.artofsolidarity.org) starting Saturday, Aug 10th to premier at the Summer Finale & Exhibition. 

Thanks to the Maryland State Art Council, Ms. Aldana was awarded a Public Arts Across Maryland Planning grant to serve as a creative consultant to lead a team that recruits, trains, and hires youth to co-lead mural arts workshops that address sexuality and gender identities under the guidance of Bmore Liberated therapists. Participants are encouraged and facilitated to create collages or “mini murals” to describe their mental health journey as a practice of self-love, bonding, and reflection.​​

Workshops and the oral history project lead to a public art proposal designed by Maria Gabriela Aldana to be painted on the side of Bmore Liberated next year. All events are open to the public and accept donations towards materials. Participants’ paintings and collages are displayed at a closing exhibition, highlighting the importance of Baltimore’s LGBTQIA2S+ communities and advocating for mental health services for all. 

Host or Publisher Maria Gabriela Aldana