Bethany Arts Community announces exhibits and events this Pride season to honor and amplify LGBTQ+ stories, voices, and contributions. Join BAC in celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride through music, art, and dance.
LGBTQ+ LISTENING LIBRARY: On Display June 1 – July 31
Bethany Arts Community is partnering with The Ossining LGBTQ Alliance and the Hudson Valley Queer Collective to produce an LGBTQ+ Listening Library in BAC’s galleries, curated by Christina Picciano. Dive into the legacy of queer musicians through vinyl, CDs, and cassettes on multiple sound mediums for the next two months at BAC.
“I wanted to take this year to center our diverse community rich in arts, culture and advocacy. There are many ways folks can celebrate Pride and I’m happy to partner with local organizations and businesses to offer a variety of events. I’m excited to partner with Bethany Arts Community this year to celebrate the power of queer music,” says Christina Picciano, curator of the LGBTQ+ Listening Library. Picciano is a queer musician, activist, and community organizer from Ossining, New York, and the founder of The Ossining LGBTQ Alliance and the Hudson Valley Queer Collective. A recipient of the Creatives Rebuild NY Artist Employment Grant, Picciano has spent the last two years with The LOFT LGBTQ+ Community Center in White Plains, implementing arts programming such as Queer Voices, a group that supports LGBTQ+ musicians of all ages, and LOFT Night Out, a monthly community nightlife event celebrating queer art and culture.
The LGBTQ+ Listening Library will be on display at Bethany Arts Community from June 1 – July 31, 2024. Listening hours are Monday-Friday 10am-4pm. Additional listening hours will be announced throughout the two months. An Opening Celebration will take place on June 5, 7-9pm. To learn more about the LGBTQ+ Listening Library and stay updated on pop up events, listening sessions, artist talks, and listening hours, visit BAC’s website.
Calling all queer musicians, record stores, labels, and music enthusiasts! Throughout the month, the library will be accepting vinyl, cassettes, or CDs featuring LGBTQ+ artists of any era to be a part of this immersive journey. Reach out at ossininglgtbq@gmail.com to donate.
OPEN MIC TO CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH
In partnership with Hudson Valley Books for Humanity, BAC’s June Open Mic will be Pride themed to honor and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Come on by and share your latest poetry/spoken word/music projects with a supportive audience. All door proceeds and 20% of sales from Pride-related goods will support The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people.
This event is open to teens and adults near and far. No need to sign up in advance. Bring your friends and your positivity, everyone is welcome.
Bethany Arts Community and Hudson Valley Books for Humanity’s Open Mic events take place the 2nd Friday of every month. Unless otherwise noted, these events are held at Hudson Valley Books for Humanity (67 Central Ave, Ossining NY), a welcoming space to build community through books and art.
BALLROOM HAS SOMETHING TO SAY: AN ODE TO BLACK GAY/QUEER MEN
Another event this month to celebrate Pride at BAC is THE ARTS OF HOUSE BALLROOM “BALLROOM HAS SOMETHING TO SAY: AN ODE TO BLACK GAY / QUEER MEN” a performance event on Friday June 21 at 7pm.
What is performance and how does it open up spaces for freedom? Join BAC and Icon Michael Roberson’s newest production that presents an intergenerational history of the Black LGBTQ+ house ballroom community, beyond Madonna’s vogue, Paris is Burning, Pose, and Legendary.
Weaving together Black art forms of oratory, vogue & performance, poetry & song, this production presents an ode to the Black gay / queer man, his perseverance, his strength, and his resilience in the face of struggle and catastrophe.
Featuring Icon Michael Roberson, Icon Pony Zion, Legendary Khaos Lanvin, Ka’don Miyake Mugler, Le’Rone Bennett 007, Rev. Ken Alston Jr., Brad Walrond, and Ricky Tucker.
This program is Co-organized by ArtsWestchester, Bethany Arts Community, The LOFT: LGBTQ+ Center, and the Ossining Juneteenth Council. This program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Ballroom Has Something to Say is part of ArtsWestchester’s Westchester Roots program series, presented by Montefiore Einstein. The Arts of House Ballroom Series is made possible in part through the Mid Atlantic Folk and Traditional Arts – Community Projects program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Tickets for BALLROOM HAS SOMETHING TO SAY are $15 General Admission and $10 Student/Senior. Purchase tickets at BAC’s website.
“QUEER CONSCIENCE” ART SHOW
From June 27 – 30, BAC is partnering with The LOFT LGBTQ+ Community Center and Resident Artivist Sphynxx to present “Queer Conscience,” an art exhibit that delves into the powerful concept of the inner LGBTQIA2+/ Queer compass, often recalibrated by societal norms and expectations. Navigating a world that often clashes with their core identity. Through various artistic mediums, the exhibit promises a journey that is both introspective and defiant.
“’Queer Conscience’ is that inner compass, that guiding voice that shapes our sense of right and wrong, but filtered through the unique lens of LGBTQIA2+/ Queer experiences. It’s about grappling with societal pressures, celebrating our chosen families, and fighting for a world that truly embraces / celebrates authenticity and uniqueness,” articulates curator Sphynxx.
Call for Art! “Queer Conscience” is seeking LGBTQIA2+ / Queer artists of all stripes and mediums to submit to be a part of the exhibit. Submit by Friday June 16 at 5pm ET. Apply to submit via this link.
To stay updated on what’s happening at Bethany Arts Community, sign up for our newsletter.
