To access larger versions of the mural, email qriticalmru@gmail.com
Queer Joy! Art & Accountability on Alberta University Campuses
This project was a collaboration among Mount Royal University, MacEwan University, Norquest College, and Olds College.
Recognizing a need to build solidarity among post-secondary 2SLGBTQIA+ students, staff, and faculty, we got together to plan a multi-campus arts event focused on queer joy. Held on March 13th 2024, this event brought together more than 70 people from across our four campuses for a collective arts engagement session facilitated by social artist Melanie Schambach.
The Queer Joy! digital mural contains artworks from 53 2SLGBTQIA+ participants. The overall image was co-designed by the organizing team and other contributors from across our campuses who opted in to an open call. The individual pieces that make up the image were then created by participants during the March 13th event, and later assembled to produce the image you see here.
Artists include:
Alex Mitchinson, Anna F., Anna W., Annita Phypers, Ashley Armstrong , Ava, Bronwyn Petersen, Celeste Pang, Chels Schafer, Ciara, Courtney Peddle, Eva, Gio Dolcecore, Gloria, Jill Thompson, Jory, Jules de Guzman, Keith Friedlander, Ken Fry , Kristie Benson , Leah Hamilton , Lisa Gasson-Gardner, Meg Congram, Neeshali Piekutowski , Remi, Robyn Corke, Sabrina J., Shane Steininger, Sophia Zannis, T. Ogata, Teigan Nordstrom, Veronica Clark, Wren, and anonymous contributors.
Organizing team:
Celeste Pang (Mount Royal University), Christopher Avelar (Norquest College), Corinne L. Mason (Mount Royal University), Keith Friedlander (Olds College), Remi Baker (MacEwan University).
This project was supported by Egale Canada and Women and Gender Equality Canada.
To reference this work:
Use: This image was created by, with, and for 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Our hope is that it resonates and sparks joy among those who encounter it, and that by dwelling on different aspects of the images viewers can reflect on the importance of queer joy in our lives and what queer joy can look like.
This is an open-access image. It can be used by 2SLGBTQIA+ community groups, school campuses, and others in support of queer joy. Please do not make modifications to the image. This artwork must not be sold or monetized in any way. To credit this image please use the following reference: Queer Joy! Arts + Accountability on Alberta Post-Secondary Campuses participants (2024). Queer Joy! [Digital Mural]. Facilitated by Melanie Schambach. [https://www.qriticalhub.com/queer-joy].