What Will Have Been Ours

Project Overview

As the LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project transitions out of its current model, a vital gap has opened in programming that sustains connection, reflection, and resistance within its broad network of queer participants. This pilot initiative proposes a six-week open studio for Dialogue Project alumni, held Feb. 8–Mar. 14 at Walls Turned Sideways, an abolitionist gallery and studio space. Each week, participants will share meals, engage in dialogue, and collaborate on a collective artwork exploring queer American identity amid rising authoritarianism. The project culminates in a final artwork, exhibition, and catalog that archives and amplifies the community's ongoing commitment to creative resistance through intergenerational exchange.

Final Artwork

This project resists the imperial use of aesthetics by fascist leaders, asserting that national symbols must not be surrendered to those who weaponize them. By reclaiming imagery often used to divide, particularly the American flag, the work challenges false binaries of “ patriot” vs. “ noncitizen.” The culminating piece reimagines the American flag as a collaged quilt, composed of personal materials and fabrics contributed by participants. Inspired by the AIDS Memorial Quilt and traditions of queer collective making, the artwork becomes an archive of care, resistance, and layered queer American identity. The quilt and catalog will debut in a public exhibition before joining the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives as its permanent home.

Your Donation Covers...

$10 - Sewing supplies for a single participant.

$20 - Printmaking supplies for a single participant.

$50 - Feed a participant for the entire duration of the program.

$100 - Fund a travel stipend for a single participant who would otherwise be unable to commute.

$250 - Cover food costs for the entire cohort for a session.

$500 - Cover the cost of materials in producing an exhibition catalogue.

Any donations exceeding our listed total will be allocated towards expanding our project capacity and scale.

Curriculum 

Each four-hour session follows a consistent structure:

30 min — Shared meal and open discussion: Building on the Dialogue Project's community-based foundations.

1 hr — Dialogue and workshop: Exploring the complexities of queer American identity and drawing on intergenerational knowledge to reflect on resilience amid political and cultural threats.

2.5 hr — Open studio: Participants translate dialogue into creation across three core modalities:

Printmaking: Lino block relief prints carrying collective messages, transferred onto fabric pieces.

Stitching: Printed fabrics and personal archival materials are quilted together, weaving individual stories into a shared narrative of identity and resistance.

Archiving: Each contribution is photographed and paired with participant reflections, forming the foundation for the exhibition catalog that documents the process and final work.