PALM SPRINGS, CA — The Palm Springs Art Museum Monday announced a new initiative, which will launch next weekend, that centers on LGBTQ+ artists and supports their creative endeavors.
The Q+ Art initiative will get underway March 16 with a day of talks, performances and a celebration for the opening of “To Move Towards the Limits of Living,” which features works by LGBTQ+ artists from the museum’s permanent collection, according to museum officials.
Attendees can also expect a lecture on LGBTQ+ art history by curator Stamatina Gregory and a presentation of the inaugural distinguished keynote award to interdisciplinary Cree artist Kent Monkman.
“The museum has been working with many LGBTQ+ identified artists over the years, but I felt it was time to make a more formal commitment to our community with the creation of a well-defined and comprehensive program,” the museum’s JoAnn McGrath Executive Director/CEO Adam Lerner said in a statement.
Palm Springs Art Museum Board of Trustees president Craig Hartzman encouraged the development of the initiative and agreed to provide seed funding after Lerner discussed the ideas with him last year, museum officials said. Hartzman and his husband James John gave an endowment gift of $1 million to secure the program in perpetuity, which subsequently attracted the interest of more supporters.
“We are thrilled to give a gift that ensures Q+ Art remains an ongoing part of the museum’s program, and we are thankful to the other donors who have gotten on board early to make it a reality,” Hartzman said.
Among those who have made generous contributions to help found and secure the program are Simon K. Chiu, Arthur M. Cohen, Daryl R. Otte, Kevin Comer, Rick Distel, Mark Hamilton, Juan Francisco and John P. Monahan, according to museum officials.
Q+ Art will become an ongoing public showcase through art and design exhibitions, a speaker series, films and performances, collection of LGBTQ+ art and design, and an annual recognition through a national award, according to museum officials. The annual award will celebrate achievements of highly accomplished people and help support younger artists’ careers.
“Considering how significant the LGBTQ+ demographic is to Palm Springs, it’s simply obvious that our museum should take a leading role nationally in telling the stories of LGBTQ+ contributions to art and design,” Lerner said.
More information about the opening weekend can be found at psmuseum.org.
