LGBTQIA+ Creators
Artists. Illustrators. Photographers. Sculptors. Metalworkers. Ceramicist.
Artists
Alex, He/Him
“The fact that i will always be trans is something that i can be proud of, and once i figured that out, i absolutely was and still am. at this point, personally, i have accepted that my experiences have shaped me to the point that i will never not be queer. I love the word queer because it is a perfect in-between word. everything you don’t know how to say is in that word. there aren’t words for seeing someone in public, dressed exactly how you never knew you wanted to dress. a confidence you never knew you wanted to have. there’s a magic in that and i want to be that.
my love for words overlaps with my passion for art— i make designs with words i believe in, aimed to empower members of my community to be themselves and embrace their experiences and unique forms of queerness. the trans experience is not just special because it is magic; there is something innately human about accepting and embracing change within yourself to grow into your best self, over and over again.”
Cursedluver
“We have been together for 31 years now! It hardly seems possible, time passes so quickly. We became parents more than 20 years ago to our daughter Sophia; best decision ever.”
Beth, She/Her, and Tania Sturtevant, She/Her, with their daughter Sophia, She/They.
Brooke, She/Her.
“Hi! I’m Brooke, a bisexual, black local artist and the creator of BuffCat. I make paintings, digital art and comics here in Portland. I teamed up with my friend Melanie to make BuffCat my official brand in January of this year. Inspired by my cat, the mission of BuffCat is to portray bodies, people and queer identities that aren’t commonly seen in art. BuffCat represents soft masculinity, embracing who you are and being unapologetically yourself. I hope that everyone who views my art feels seen. Queer, black voices deserve to be heard and I hope I convey that through my work. You can find my art on Instagram and Facebook:
Instagram: @Artbybuffcat, @BuffCatforever. Facebook: Art By BuffCat. I can be found on Blackownedmaine as Art By Buff Cat. For commissions/and project requests please email me at:
Artbybuffcat@gmail.com.”
Art By Buffcat
Kyah, She/They
“I’m a lifelong Mainer who can't fathom why anyone wouldn't want to live in the woods, minutes from lakes and the ocean. Find me in my natural habitats; doing theatre in Portland, swimming in Sebago, or picking up dead stuff on Higgins Beach. My husband and my three cats (Saffron, @Marquis_Xavier_Bonpurr, and Raichu) and my hamster, Apricot, are my entire heart.”
The Goblin Museum
Charlie Emma, She/They.
“I’m an artist because I want to see change in the world. I want to create spaces that welcome neurodivergence, racial diversity, disability, and queerness. The fact that I can do something that makes people feel included and valued by putting some colors and shapes out into the world, it’s my own kind of magic.”
Scrambled Egg Shop
Nicole, She/Her
"I'm a queer femme printmaker (@radicalemprints / radicalemprints.com) & freelance graphic designer. Pisces sun/Taurus moon/Leo rising. Typography nerd. Probably too earnest but what's a Pisces to do when the world is always on fire? Deeply grateful to be a part of the community of beautiful & badass printmakers at @pickwickindependentpress. Also: hang in there, friends. Queers know that our connections to each other are strong enough to get us through many storms."
Radical Emprints
Jenny, She/Her
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“I am a collage artist, poet, singer, nature lover and teacher. Being an educator sits at the very core of my being. I work in Early Childhood and I have always believed that nature is the greatest educator of all. Children can experience awe and wonder from looking up a tree that seems to touch the clouds. They can face challenges, fears and build resilience. They can learn empathy and strength from watching the smallest insect. Nature teaches children how to connect to our world in the most empowering and meaningful ways. ‘As we begin to feel our common bond of life with living things around us, our actions become more harmonious in an unforced, natural way, and we become concerned for the needs and well-being of all creatures.’ - Joseph Cornell ‘Sharing the Joy of Nature’
In the classroom or in nature, I want each child in my care to feel safe, seen, heard and understood. That is our job as educators. We have a responsibility to meet children where they are at. We are there to gently guide and fiercely stand by and support these tiny humans along their journey to being their most true and authentic selves.”
Art By JennyBee
Illustrators
Abe, She/Her.
“I’ve been coping with the pandemic by leaning into creative play in my work and life - I survived the first month of lockdown by drawing 400+ possums. I’m surviving the sixth month by teaching myself how to longboard and rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender. Basically I’m gifting myself the childhood I always wanted, but in my adult years.”
Abetensia Illustration
Mel Andrel: Graphic Design
Mel, They/Them, on the right.
“Hello, I’m new here. During the pandemic, a lot of priorities shifted for me. I left my toxic, full time job. I prioritized my health. I left NYC and moved here. And, of course, pursued making art & freelancing full time. Portland, Maine is the first place that has ever felt like home for me. I’m looking forward to planting my roots here & making new friends!”
Nakia Pickering Illustration
Nakia, She/Her
“I grew up in New Hampshire, but Maine has always felt like my home. I moved to Bangor in 2018, and Portland shortly thereafter, and now I don’t think I ever want to leave! I grew up surrounded by nature, playing in the mud, lying in the grass, and running through the trees. This helped me grow a deep love and respect for nature that lives within me to this day. As an illustrator, much of my work focuses on endangered species. I want to use my work to show anyone who reads it how lovable and amazing the creatures and ecosystems that surround us are, thus planting the seeds of passion for conserving them. I hope my work not only brings joy to myself and others, but also helps share my love and respect for nature with all who view it.”
Photographers
Kef
kef, She/Her
kef is an artist from Vernon, Connecticut, currently based in the city of Portland, Maine— attempting to navigate her existence as an Asian American trans artist. kef is interested in how sense of identity and relationships to the world are constructed through encountered ideas and representations. Her work engages with themes such as gender and performativity, personal relationships, and the violence of the Western and cisnormative male gaze. In kef's work she identifies with a reality of being rejected by a world, in search of solidarity and connecting with others who contend with a similar existence. kef works closely with the notion of intercorporeality- the ensembles of touch, connection, embodied intimacy, and identification that circulate between subjects. The subversion that her practice performs is not in the image or in the representation, but in the simple act of being able to be next to one another. kef currently has her series Remember That I Am Thy Creature on display at Cocktail Mary in Portland, as well as shirts through Loquat Shop. On Wednesdays you can find her defying God’s plan and overdosing on estrogen.
NRTG Photography
Nathan, Any Pronoun.
“I’m frustrated and tired very often. I’m also very lucky and so, so grateful. I try to keep gratitude and acceptance at the forefront of everything I do. The systems we have in place clearly benefit a small percentage of people while a majority of others are constantly suffering. These systems are not broken - they’re working exactly as they were intended to work. They need to change. It feels wrong not to advocate for change so that everyone has a fair chance to live a peaceful, beautiful life. I want to make sure I’m consistently showing up for myself, so I can show up for others, especially those I hold close to me in my life, and keep fighting. It all starts with you.”
Fogg Photo & Design
Nicole, She/Her
"It's taken me a long time to learn how to be comfortable in both my own skin and with my sexuality. Not every day is easy, but I'm figuring out how to celebrate the person that I am and who I've yet to become. When I moved back home to Maine pre-pandemic, everything was different. It solidified just how constant change can be, and that it's okay. This year I picked up a camera and took my love of photography as something worth sharing with people. I'm enjoying every minute of it. Being behind the lens, I want to give others the chance to feel good, too. Hopefully I can get to know some of you on my journey."
The Third And Only Photography
James, They/Them
“When Kyle Warnock agreed to be involved in my upcoming photo series and asked me to be involved with his in return, I was thrilled. As two very different photographers both primarily photographing queer subjects in very different ways, our meeting in real life had been quite overdue. However, I was NOT prepared for this photoshoot. I had misunderstood the plans we made and thought that ~I~ would be shooting ~him~ on this day. Not the other way around. I'm happy that's what happened though, because I think not having put myself in the headspace of "I'm being photographed today" until moments beforehand added an extra layer of vulnerability to shoot that might not have been there otherwise. For me, so much of the portraiture I do is about finding beauty, power, and authenticity in those moments of vulnerability. I'm delighted with the sides of me Kyle witnessed: someone who is often a little bit flustered, typically a little bit self conscious, and usually a lot bit goofy.”
Nat Nelson Photo
Nat, She/Her, on the right.
“I’m Nat. She/Her pronouns. We just moved to Portland in the fall & are looking to make some friends! I’m a photographer. I love working with people. I specialize in boudoir, portraits, engagement shoots, nudes and fine art photography. My Instagram is @natkeltonphoto. My partner Joey (He/Him), deals in antiques & collectibles. He specializes in ephemera from the turn of the century. His Instagram is @n_j_antiques. We’d love some friends to go thrifting with or try out new coffee shops!”
DB Greener
Daniel, He/Him
“Family has always meant a lot to me. I was born at Maine Medical Center and adopted at 3 weeks old. My parents moved to New Jersey where I grew up. Growing up in the 80s, in a small town in New Jersey wasn't easy for a queer kid. I was bullied from the age of 12 until the day I graduated high school. Once I reached college it would take me 2 more years to find the courage to come out and finally start living as my authentic self. After college I moved to Brooklyn and started to build and find my queer family. A family of love, support, shared experiences, and life long friendships. I lived there for 21 years and those were the most impactful years of my life. And now I am back. Back to where my journey started. My husband works at Maine Medical Center, I have a huge biological family all around, and have started to find a new queer family of friends here in Maine. Recently, I started a monthly Queer Family gathering with some old and new friends and am hoping to have it be a regular thing that allows for any and all queer Mainers to have a place to be supported and celebrated. Because no matter how a family is created, everyone deserves to be a part of a family of love.”
Rachel Epperly Film And Photo
Rachel, She/Her, on the right.
“After working in public health and advocacy for years, I (Rachel) stumbled into wedding photography and fell in love with how transformative an affirming photo experience can be. Several years later, I get to live the dream and spend my time celebrating and documenting queer love, connection, and community. And best of all I get to do it with my partner (Annie) filming next to me.”
JaeCase Photos
Jae, They/Them or Just Jae
“My favorite place to be is outside with my camera taking photos of the natural world around me. I have a goal to include more real live people in my photos. I’ve made a start of that with the Cold Water Queers group. I don’t dip in the icy ocean with them, but am a land shark who takes photos of their shenanigans from time to time. If you are interested in freezing your butt off or just having the best fun with other crazy queerios in the area – check out Cold Water Queers. I love them – you will too! If you want to see some of my photos, feel free to check them out here: JaeCase Photos.
Sculptors / Ceramics / Metalsmiths
Rose Acolyte Ceramics
Julien, She/They
“During quarantine, my creative focus has been all over the place. I’m always a bit of a dabbler, but this time has turned me into an absolute mega dabbler. From week to week and month to month I’ve become obsessed with rug-making, painting, starting a newsletter, Polaroid photography, portrait photography, figure drawing from photos, ceramics... sometimes I wish I would just buckle down and focus on something to become really good at it, but that just doesn’t feel possible right now. The time to myself has also given me space to get back in touch with my queer identity, which has felt dormant and hidden for a while. I would love to meet more of the amazing people on this page and get to know the queer community around Portland better! If anyone reading this wants to collaborate on a creative project or photoshoot, I would love to work together!”
House Of Bedazzled Golems
Murray, They/Them
“I find it so hard to talk about myself as an artist. I could never have imagined calling myself that when I was younger. I grew up with some significant motor skills issues and so art classes caused a lot of frustration for me in school. I was creative but not "artistic". Finding this medium has been so freeing for me. I am the only one I know who does it, so there's no way to compare myself to others. I can simply create and appreciate my work for what it is.Plus, there's the bonus vindication that comes with finally putting all the shiny junk I find on the ground to good use instead of just putting it in a box and moving to like 5 different apartments without ever unpacking it.”
Bhansen Metals
Bryan, He/They
“It has been 27 years of sifting through, learning, and relearning the world around me and I’m still finding these crucial pieces of myself that had been buried by my own or another’s “good intentions. It’s truly never too late to go searching. It can take a long time but you are worth every bit of that effort."
Roesbud Studio
Bryan, He/They
“It has been 27 years of sifting through, learning, and relearning the world around me and I’m still finding these crucial pieces of myself that had been buried by my own or another’s “good intentions. It’s truly never too late to go searching. It can take a long time but you are worth every bit of that effort."