Nouveau
An Allied and Trans Inclusive Art Experience
Nouveau: An Allied and Trans Inclusive Art Experience
This project will celebrate and honor the unique and powerful transgender individuals in our realm. During the life of this project, I will work with transgender individuals to create life-sized pieces of gender-affirming art, depicting their bodies and identities through an art nouveau lens.
Why Transgender Participants?
My spouse is trans, which puts me up close and personal with the daily experiences transgender individuals face, and the beauty they bring to the world. I am well aware this does not mean I understand what it means to be trans. That said, I bear witness daily to the challenges, opposition, and hate my trans and gender non-conforming students, family, friends, and community face just for existing. My goal in this project is to do my part through the lens I know best to bring joy to the trans community.
Why Art Nouveau?
The international presence of art nouveau attests to the successful tearing down of hierarchies between the arts. Art nouveau was prevalent in public places such as train stations, restaurants, and stores; the public and private domains had equal ownership of the style. This highlights the unified, inclusive nature of art nouveau, an art form to be enjoyed by all. Art nouveau presented a stepping stone for modern artists, whose legacy continues to inspire and evolve today.
Historically, art nouveau projects depicted cisgender female-presenting beings. The Nouveau project series will celebrate all trans and gender non-conforming humans! Choosing this work style comes from a deep desire to celebrate, support, love, and protect our trans community. The inclusive historical nature of art nouveau, in combination with endless artistic possibilities in identity expression, makes it the perfect inspiration for this heart work.
Each participant in the project will sit with me to discuss identity, color schematic, clothing, feelings about their current and/or desired body, nature, environment, and the overall aesthetic of the piece to ensure the final work feels affirming and invokes gender euphoria. AND each participant will be compensated for their time, work, and beautiful contribution to this project.
Each piece in the Nouveau: An Allied and Trans Inclusive Art Experience project will depict transgender individuals through an art nouveau lens. (There will be a call for 12 willing participants who identify as transgender/gender non-conforming.
Each piece will be life-size, mixed-media artwork
This project will be documented in film, sound, and photography to produce a short documentary film
The goal for this body of work includes a touring show and gala event
THIS IS A BIG PROJECT.
Which brings me to the financial need. I am applying for grants to support ⅔ ($15,000) of the budget. The remaining ⅓ will be raised through this GoFundMe ($5,000) and other ($2,500) upcoming fundraising opportunities.
As a token of appreciation for your donation to this project:
$100 donation or more will receive a poster print at the opening show. (Those who cannot attend will receive their gift in the mail)
$50 donation will receive a digital poster print the week of the opening show.
Every person who donates, no matter the amount, will receive a sticker
Thank you for taking the time to consider contributing to this project. Together, we can lift up the transgender community and shine radical love in their direction.
Kim Shaw
Interested in being a participant?
If you are a trans or non-binary person (read: not cis) interested in participating in Nouveau: An Allied and Trans Inclusive Art Experience, please complete this short Google Form.