Queer|Art

Queer|Art is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to uniting and advancing generations of LGBTQ+ creators across diverse disciplines, including film, performance, literature, and visual art. Founded in 2009 by filmmaker Ira Sachs to address the devastating loss of mentors during the AIDS crisis, the organization builds intergenerational creative networks, offers career guidance, and delivers financial support to queer cultural workers throughout the United States.

The organization’s signature program is Queer|Art|Mentorship, a year-long fellowship pairing emerging and early-career LGBTQ+ artists with recognized professionals in their respective fields. Mentees receive continuous one-on-one creative guidance, professional coaching, monthly interdisciplinary cohort gatherings, and project development support. Through its grantmaking programs, the agency distributes direct financial aid, including the annual Queer|Art|Prize recognizing sustained artistic achievement and recent groundbreaking work, as well as the Illuminations Grant supporting Black transgender women visual artists.

Public engagement and professional development extend across year-round public programming. The organization hosts curated film screenings, artist-led workshops, work-in-progress readings, and mock grant review panels that help independent creatives refine funding proposals. Artists can apply for annual mentorship cycles and grant opportunities through open calls online. Patrons, collectors, and community allies can get involved by attending public showcases, joining the annual giving circle, or making tax-deductible financial donations to sustain queer artistic production.