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Queer Art Walk 2022, presented by Spokane Arts

Spokane’s third annual Queer Art Walk begins Friday, June 3, 2022, coinciding with June’s First Friday. Participating Queer Art Walk venues include The Chase Gallery at Spokane’s City Hall, Trackside Studios, Kolva Sullivan, Yes is a Feeling, Dean Davis Studios, Common Language Brewing Co., First Avenue Coffee, Locust Cider, the Gonzaga University Urban Arts Center (GUUAC), and the Symons Block.

Queer Art Walk was founded in 2019 by a group of local artists, with the mission to uplift LGBTQ+ voices and celebrate a historically marginalized group through art. The citywide event in Spokane was the first of its kind in Washington State. The idea was conceived by former Spokane arts commissioner Andrew Whitver, and supported by a group of volunteers including Tiffany Patterson, Eva Silverstone, Roin Morigeau, June Sanders, and Remelisa Cullitan. When Whitver and his husband moved away earlier this year, he asked Spokane Arts to take the reins on coordinating the event, along with the original committee members, to ensure the longevity of the annual celebration. Spokane Arts is proud to present the 2022 Queer Art Walk!

One of the featured exhibits for Queer Art Walk is curated by Yes is a Feeling studio, presenting a window exhibit in partnership with Odyssey Youth Center. The exhibit showcases photos from Odyssey’s “30 Years of History” campaign, featuring LGBTQ+ members of the local community over the past few decades. (The display will be viewable from the sidewalk, due to covid safety concerns.)

In the Chase Gallery at City Hall, featured artists include Margaret Mount and Shawn Parks, both creators of fiber art, along with mixed media work from Laura Light. The opening reception for the Chase Gallery show will be held Friday, June 3 from 4-7 p.m., and the show will remain on display throughout the month of June, where visitors can stop by during City Hall business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.) The Chase Gallery at City Hall is curated by Spokane Arts program director Shantell Jackson, with volunteer support from the arts commission and community members.

In addition to visual art exhibits at multiple venues, the Queer Art Walk will also include an open mic event sponsored by Spectrum, featuring local performance artists in the Gonzaga University Urban Arts Space (GUUAC) in downtown Spokane. The Queer Open Mic presented by Spectrum, Spokane Arts, and Gonzaga University will take place at 7 p.m. on June 3. The event is free and open to the public.

The 2022 Queer Art Walk map was designed by Tiffany Patterson. More details about Queer Art Walk can be found at www.spokanearts.org and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter via @SpokaneArts.

Please note: First Friday is a program of the Downtown Spokane Partnership, and details of all First Friday artwalk participants can be found at downtownspokane.org/first-friday