What do we see when we look at our society through the lens of cultural institutions? How can we widen the lens to be more inclusive and reflective of the lived experiences of all in our communities? Chelsea Farrar and Russ Toomey join us for this conversation about 'Mapping Q', a community/university collaboration between LGBTQ youth, community organizations, and the University of Arizona Museum of Art (UAMA) to create safe and welcoming spaces for LGBTQ youth through artmaking while providing youth with the language, tools and voice to overcome societal discrimination and stigma, and expand LGBTQ artist representation in the art museum. The result is beautiful expression, and an invitation to expand our vision of ways of being.

About Chelsea Farrar: Chelsea is the Curator of Community Engagement at the University of Arizona Museum of Art, and the creator of 'Mapping Q'. She has more than ten years’ experience in teaching in museums, college, and K-12 classrooms. Her work with community engagement through the arts has included several award-winning community programs and exhibitions involving LGBTQ-youth, military families, and adults with disabilities.

About Russ Toomey: Russ is Professor of Family Studies and Human Development in the Norton School of Human Ecology at the University of Arizona. He conducts research on the processes by which sexual and gender minority youth thrive and are resilient despite the oppressive barriers and challenges they encounter in society. His research identifies both the individual-level mechanisms (e.g., coping, activism) and systems-level policies (e.g., inclusive school policies) that reduce the impacts of discrimination and contribute to optimal health, well-being, and educational outcomes.

Links:

https://artmuseum.arizona.edu/mapping-q

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Follow: @uazmuseumofart

@mappingq.uama

@ua_compassioncenter