Supporting
Emerging Queer Artists in Their Youth (EQUARTY)
Providing equitable access to mental health services and artistic resources that promote the emotional growth, financial stability, and professional visibility of young queer artists in the Bay Area.
NOTE: The application deadline has now passed.
MAJOR SUPPORT FROM:
Above: Local queer artists pose in front of their artworks at the first annual EQUARTY art exhibition titled: “Metamorphosis: Embracing Change in the Queer Community” (May 2022).
“I can’t fully express how much QLS has helped me on my journey, both as an artist and in my own mental health.
As a Queer individual, finding a safe and affirming space to explore our identity and mental health challenges can be incredibly difficult, but QLS provides exactly that.
With the murals, our goal was to create an environment where people felt not only safe but also truly seen and heard.We wanted to reflect the experiences of patients and therapists in the artwork, seeking inspiration from the figures and characters portrayed.
During my time painting the murals, I had the privilege of meeting some of the patients and therapists, witnessing firsthand the transformative work happening in this clinic.
Shortly after completing the murals, I began therapy myself, and I can confidently vouch for the invaluable services QLS provides to our community.”
Program Overview
1. Providing Mental Health Support to Emerging Queer Artists
The Emerging Queer Artists Program provides support for up-and-coming LGBTQIA+ artists in the Bay Area (18-30 years old) who lack affordable access to mental health and substance abuse services. The program aims to connect local queer artists to individual and group counseling so that they can continue to invest in their work without sacrificing their mental health needs.
2. Core Benefits Offered:
Access to both individual and group therapy services to support mental health.
Group therapy starts in July, followed by weekly individual therapy in September.
Comprehensive professional development workshops covering topics like financial literacy, grant applications, legal aspects of art sales, personal branding, website development, and more.
Professional support in crafting artist biographies and statements, along with a professional photography session for headshots and portfolio images.
Subsidized purchase of materials (art supplies, canvases, etc.)
Opportunities to showcase artwork at Queer LifeSpace, community events, and partner galleries in San Francisco and Oakland.
Networking opportunities with a community of artists and art lovers, including visibility within our donor network.
According to the National Endowment for the Arts, engaging with the arts in childhood and youth has been linked to positive academic, social, and emotional outcomes later in life.
Given the high cost of living in the Bay Area, many artists deal with severe emotional and financial hardship and are faced with a never-ending battle of choosing whether to prioritize their art, living costs, or health costs. Many artists struggle with these choices at the expense of their mental health. We believe that queer artists, especially those early in their careers, represent one of the most vulnerable intersectional communities in the Bay Area.
3. Promoting Equitable Visibility for Emerging Queer Artists
Queer LifeSpace hosts an art exhibition and auction for emerging queer artists at its annual spring gala. This is a unique opportunity for artists from all backgrounds to gain visibility among the broader queer community and build relationships with fans of their art at an early stage of their careers.
We also partner with other local galleries, like the Harvey Milk Center for the Arts and Schlomer Haus Gallery, on exhibitions that feature the work of local queer artists, including artists who are eligible to participate in the EQUARTY program.
Program History & Inspiration
EQUARTY was created in late 2021 in response to a growing body of research that has found that the arts and artists have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic — largely due to limits on social interactions and physical movement, as well as the long-term closure of studios, galleries, and exhibition spaces. In a 2020 study by Americans for the Arts, it was found that nearly two-thirds of artists and creative workers became unemployed as a direct consequence of the pandemic.
These unemployment statistics are on par with those of the service industry, in which two out of three restaurant workers lost their jobs. However, very little attention has been given to the plight of the arts and the more than 2.5 million people employed in the space. Since the vast majority of emerging artists were already supporting themselves through the gig and services economy, the pandemic only heightened their sense of emotional and financial vulnerability.
“Artists are being hit with a double whammy of unemployment. As of May 2020, workers in arts occupations, food services, and retail are all more likely to be unemployed than those in other occupations. This means artists are more likely than others to have lost their main source of income—even if that source was not art-related.”
Why it’s important
Queer artists suffer from higher rates of substance abuse, mental health issues, and suicide. By providing this much-needed support through counseling, emerging queer artists may be equipped with better tools in which to live in their current situations at an early stage in their career. We hope this will increase the likelihood that they will be able to pursue a longer, more productive career in the arts.
Who it serves
The Emerging Queer Artists program focuses primarily on LGBTQIA+ art students and recent art graduates from disadvantaged and underserved backgrounds who cannot afford, or who lack access to, individual and group counseling for mental health or substance abuse. Equity in the mental health space is fundamentally about providing fair access to mental health resources.
The majority of clients in the program are currently enrolled or recently graduated from certificate- or degree-granting programs in the performing or non-performing arts. However, this is not a requirement for enrollment in the program. While some art students do have access to mental health services while they are enrolled as students, through enrollment in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or through their parents’ health insurance — many others do not. Among those who do have insurance through their family, most will lose access to coverage after the age of 26, under the current federal healthcare law.
BECOME A PARTNER
We’re currently looking to partner with colleges, universities, and emerging artist programs across the Bay Area. For more information and to discuss potential partnership opportunities, please send an email to equarty@queerlifespace.org.
Queer LifeSpace is compliant with HIPAA regulations.
You may contact us at info@queerlifespace.org to learn about our privacy policy and how we collect, keep, and process your private information in accordance with these laws.
Below: San Francisco-based queer Latino artists Juan Manuel Carmona and Simón Malvaez designed two custom murals for the Queer LifeSpace offices in early 2022. Their colorful murals have recently become a fixture in the Castro neighborhood. We were thrilled to work with them on this project!
