A Howell Mother’s Post-Election Outrage Sparked a Global LGBTQ+ Art Movement. Then 185 Artists Joined Her.
The community project has drawn national LGBTQ+ support to Livingston County
A powerful new art exhibition that began in the conservative town of Howell has grown into a nationwide movement of solidarity for the LGBTQ+ community.
It began when local artist Lora Garcelon, mother of a gay child and a trans child, found herself overwhelmed with post-election emotions late last year. Her response? Hurling paint, rocks and sticks at watercolor paper in her yard.
Garcelon's artistic outrage soon transformed into something much bigger — a new exhibition at Cleary University in Howell, which brings together 100 voices of support for the LGBTQ+ community, featuring contributors from ages 8 to 91. Titled The Together Art Project, it's a collection of four 4-by-4-foot collages.
Garcelon's project flourished after she reached out to a few friends in the art community. Soon she was mailing 7-inch watercolor squares to 185 people across the country — from California to Florida and even overseas, to England. The squares came back transformed into personal messages of love and support.
"I've been completely overwhelmed by the support for this project," Garcelon said in a news release about the exhibit. "I think I reached out to three or four friends and my message went viral very quickly."
The contributors include professional artists, while others had never picked up a paintbrush before the project. The Together Art Project has drawn participation from both LGBTQ+ individuals and allies, all united in their message of solidarity.
Music lovers might spot Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" sheet music incorporated into one square, while others will appreciate another featuring excerpts from landmark Supreme Court decisions Obergefell v. Hodges and Lawrence v. Texas.
"Through this art initiative, I hope people are feeling a greater sense of connection and belonging," Garcelon noted in the release.
Cleary University has been an enthusiastic partner, working with Garcelon to host the exhibit on campus. "Hosting Lora Garcelon's Together Art Project aligns with our efforts to celebrate diverse voices and provide an atmosphere for meaningful artistic expression," Brett Rogers, the university's director of marketing, said in the release.
While the show will be on display through February, Garcelon continues to receive new squares and hopes the collection will eventually tour across the U.S. As she pointed out in the release, "Support for the LGBTQ community is diverse; it is everywhere and everyone. The support for this project demonstrates that members of the LGBTQ community are not alone. We are stronger together."
The Together Art Project is open to the public at Cleary Commons (3750 Clearly Drive, Howell), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., until the end of February. This spring, the project will move to a church in Brighton. Organizations interested in hosting the exhibition can reach out to Garcelon at [email protected].
Read More
Meet Sen. McMorrow, Cheer the Pistons and Hot Daddies, Join the Lesbians to Socialize, Celebrate Mutual Aid
If March is coming in with that lion energy (and we're not talking about the weather so much) — and you're feeling like the ideal hangout involves you, [...]
These 8 Michigan Democrats Face Backlash After Supporting Anti-Transgender Sports Resolution
A controversial resolution urging restrictions on transgender student athletes in Michigan has sparked outrage among LGBTQ+ advocacy groups in the state — [...]
Out Gay Rep. Jason Morgan Aims to Repeal Outdated Michigan Ban on Same-Sex Marriage Amid Supreme Court Concerns
One week after one of his House colleagues introduced a resolution calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider its landmark ruling ending bans on [...]
Recovering Forgotten Trans History: Storyteller S. Bear Bergman Brings ‘The First Jew in Canada’ to Ann Arbor Church
S. Bear Bergman has been a self-described "queer pain in the ass" since adolescence, when he helped found the first gay-straight alliance in the country in 1990 [...]
When Arabic Lyrics Become American Refuge: A Queer Veteran's Relationship with Mashrou' Leila
Recently they’ve returned to my mix for reasons too obvious to state.
Hundreds Gather In Lansing to Protest Trump Actions Against Reproductive Rights and Trans Women
Several hundred people gathered Saturday outside the Michigan Capitol in Lansing as they protested a myriad of actions and policies by the Trump administration, [...]
