Queer Arts Festival steps into the future with 18th annual edition, June 6 to 28
Centred around portals, this year’s just-announced lineup includes several visual-art exhibitions, Vancouver International Jazz Festival concerts, and more
Erica Roozendaal in Night Owl.
A COMMUNITY ART SHOW, a clothing swap, and a web series devoted to drag kings are among the innovative offerings at the 18th annual Queer Arts Festival.
Presented by the Pride in Art Society in partnership with Centre A (Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art) from June 6 to 28, this year’s event revolves around the theme of portals, which honours the queer and trans experiences of forging new paths and stepping into the future.
Kicking off the festivities at On Main Gallery is the queer printmakers exhibition Varied Editions, curated by Cheryl Hamilton and Edward Fu-Chen Juan. Artists Paul Wong, Tajliya Jamal, Zoë Laycock, and Juneau MacPhee will have their works on display. An opening reception will take place on the evening of June 6; plus, printmaking and zine workshops will run in conjunction with the exhibition at Malaspina Printmakers Society on June 7, 8, and 14.
Mark Takeshi McGregor (Pride in Art Society’s artistic director) and Diane Hau Yu Wong (Centre A’s artistic director) have curated the visual-art exhibition Portals, which emphasizes the core values of this year’s festival by exploring the intersection of queerness, migration, and belonging. Works by artists Arkah, Evan Matchett-Wong, Sena Cleave, Miles Saraswat, Christian Yves Jones, and Naomi Leung 梁珮恩 will be featured. It’ll be at Centre A from June 21 to August 23, launching with a celebratory ArtParty! Reception.
Another featured exhibition, the QAF Community Art Show, will showcase pieces by 2SLGBTQIA+ artists at the SUM gallery from June 14 to 28. The fest’s founding artistic director emeritus, SD Holman, started the SUM gallery in 2018; it’s one of the only permanent spaces in the world that presents queer art.
The venue will host two other events before the Community Art Show happens. On June 8, there’s Night Owl, an intimate autobiographical show by Netherlands-based accordionist Erica Roozendaal that melds her own playing and script-writing with music by Pauline Oliveros. Then on June 22, there’s a special screening of Romi Kim’s web series Long Live Kings, which celebrates the local drag king scene.
Don’t miss the Queer Clothing Swap at the Sun Wah Centre on June 22, which will be a chance for folks of all genders and sizes to switch up their summer style. And in the realm of music, three concerts presented in partnership with the Coastal Jazz & Blues Society at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival Concerts will highlight 2SLGBTQIA+ talents. There’s the Bruno Hubert Trio with Brad Turner on June 25 at Performance Works; Raagaverse with Cassius Khan on June 26 at Ocean Artworks; and Allie Lynn King with Nate McBride and Kenton Loewen on June 28 on the Revue Stage.
Most of the festival is pay-what-you-wish, but it’s recommended to reserve a spot in advance for some events as space is limited. Check out the Queer Arts Festival’s website for more details and a full schedule. 
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