The Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center revealed on Friday its new “Gaytablos” exhibit that explores queer identities and divinity.
“Gaytablos” is both a tribute to retablo art, the traditional paintings above altars in Catholic churches, and a new awakening of queer spirituality, according to a press release, and is curated by Tarra Lazos Creative.
Juli Myers of Tarra Lazos Creative said in a press release that the idea came to her as she was viewing contemporary retablo paintings last winter. The paintings tell short stories about giving thanks to various saints or God.
“I wondered, with so many of us not being welcome into the faith homes of our youth, to whom would we give thanks for the gift of being queer?” Myers said in the press release.
Jason Lazos-Ferns, one of the event creators, said the works in the exhibit are meant to engage the community and help LGBTQ and two-spirit people understand their divinity regardless of their experience with mainstream religions. The exhibit is meant to provide a safe space for connection, conversation and healing, he said.
At the opening celebration Friday, Jaysun Enos, of the Gila River Indian Community, performed a tribal land acknowledgment and traditional blessing with guests surrounding the large ofrenda in the center of the exhibit. Patrons were welcome to step forward and receive a blessing from Enos during the ceremony.
The ofrenda, a traditional healing altar, is an interactive piece to encourage reflection and is focused on the intersection of social justice and people who have lost their lives whether to COVID-19, or acts of racism and injustice committed against marginalized communities.
The evening’s festivities also included traditional folk dances by Rascapetiando Dance Company and a song sung by Miss San Carlos Apache, Lorraine Cooley, who attended the event as an ambassador for her nation to celebrate the opening.
The exhibit includes juried works from both known artists and submissions from community artists.
One of the artists, Cora J. Quiroz, was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness and spent a long time trying to reverse the effects of her strict upbringing when she left the church, she said. Through her pieces, she was provided an opportunity to explore and reclaim her spirituality as well as connect with others who have lived through similar experiences, she said.
Lazos-Ferns described Quiroz’s work as “emblematic of Frida Kahlo.”
Navajo artist Piersten Doctor left the Navajo reservation with his family at 3 years old, he said. His vibrant works are a way for him to reconnect with his heritage and culture, Doctor said.
Both Quiroz and Doctor are the youngest resident artists at the Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center, according to Elizabeth Toledo, ALAC’s director. Despite their young age, Toledo said she is constantly in awe of their work.
One piece, a small red retablo, artist Meli Carrillo-Galaviz described as a museum representing life. As we go through life, we collect pieces from others who touch our hearts we become a collection of others, they said. Every time we meet others, we get a glimpse into their museum, Carrillo-Galaviz said.
Additional events are planned to complement the exhibit including an interfaith panel discussion on Sept. 24 and an artist talk on Oct. 8.
The final event to close the exhibit will be a Queer Ball. Lazos-Ferns described it as a “how-queer-can-you-be ball” and an opportunity to celebrate each other’s queerness.
The exhibit will run through Saturday, Oct. 23, at the Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center’s downtown location at 147 E. Adams Street.
ALAC, founded in 2009, is a nonprofit coalition of Latino arts and artists that celebrates and promotes the Latino presence in Arizona through education, art and advocacy. It fosters cultural and artistic expression in the community through art exhibits, film, theater, presentations, lectures, live performances, and literary readings, the press release notes.
People from all walks of life are encouraged to visit the exhibit. “You don’t have to be religious, you can be an atheist, a humanist – these intersections are what’s going to heal us as a community,” Lazos-Ferns said.
