It’s no secret that the current administration continues to try everything possible to erase LGBTQ+ people. Most recently, we’ve witnessed the removal of queer culture and history on a national scale. As history has shown, LGBTQ+ people have always existed and no matter how this administration feels, they can never erase us. That’s why, we are proud to announce the new exhibition from the Southern Equality Studios, Our Living Record, curated by SES Director Liz Williams and her team.
The exhibit features artwork from Southern LGBTQ+ community members and allies who aim to preserve queer memory. In full, the exhibition will include photography, sculpture, projection, ephemera and participatory archival interactive installations. Each piece will ultimately work to showcase the broader story of LGBTQ+ resilience, resistance, and joy.
“Queer and trans histories are often fragmented or excluded from dominant narratives,” says curator Liz Williams. “Our Living Record asks: what happens when we tell our stories ourselves—through our photos, our letters, our zines, our everyday rituals? This exhibition is a gathering of those fragments. A way to say: we were here, we are here and we will sustain and remain.”
Beginning July 10 through September 1st, 2025 the exhibition will be live at the Revolve Gallery in Asheville, NC. On July 30 at 7pm, there will be a special event, the Archival Activation Event, which will feature art talks from featured artists and an interactive archive in collaboration with the WNC LGBTQIA+ Archive Project. This event will host a range of LGBTQ+ artists, and will offer free admission and be open to the public during gallery hours. There will also be a special closing reception on August 17th at 7pm, welcome to all.
The featured artists participating in the show are Lenny Kyriakoulis, Kass Patterson, Daniel Simone, Crain Cutler, Eduardo Moraes de Oliveira Barbosa, Amanda Simons, Lindsay Jones, Jeannie Regan, and more. Click here to view their portraits and learn more about their artwork.
Even in the face of abhorrent attacks from anti-LGBTQ+ forces, there will always be a need to preserve LGBTQ+ history and memories. In the fight for our equality, our community has faced adversity and attacks throughout history, and the battles of today are not as different as those in the past as it may seem. As we continue to resist the administration’s ongoing legal rollbacks and persistent attacks, we must never grow weary in loudly and proudly championing LGBTQ+ visibility.
From now through Labor Day, be sure to visit the Our Living Record exhibition to celebrate queer and trans representation with us. Check out a sneak peak of the exhibit below!
