Queer History Collective: Artist Commission
The Hastings Queer History Collective is seeking to commission an LGBTQIA+ artist based in Hastings and Rother to create a bespoke artwork inspired by the following entry in queer activist and film-maker Derek Jarman’s diary Smiling in Slow Motion: Journals, 1991–1994:
“I found a great card in Hastings of a boy holding a large stick of pink rock, wearing only the briefest pants, with the title: What a Sweetie. Bought their entire stock.”
The artwork will be put on display as part of the upcoming Queer History Museum Map & Tour due to be launched in February 2023.
The fee is £500
Eligibility
Artists must identify as LGBTQIA+ and live or work in the Hastings and Rother area.
Dimensions
The artwork can be two or three dimensional and in any medium (greeting card, painting, sculpture, graphic design, photography, mosaic etc). It will be displayed in a glass cabinet so film or audio is not possible and it cannot exceed the following dimensions: Height – 21cm, Length – 15cm and Width – 7cm
Timeline
Applications close: 1 December 2022
All artists will be notified by: 7 December 2022
Artwork must be submitted by 5 January 2023
How to submit
If you wish your work to be considered for this commission, please submit via email a short bio and one of the following: examples of your portfolio, instagram link or website.
Email: HastingsQHC@gmail.com
About the Collective
The Hastings Queer History Collective was formed in early 2020 to explore and document the experiences of LGBTQI+ individuals living in and around Hastings and to enrich the social history collection at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery.
The Collective aspires to illuminate the stories of LGBTQI+ people in Hastings, enhancing on a more permanent basis the visibility of the community’s history and experiences within the museum.
They are currently researching, writing and designing the first ever queer history museum map and tour in Hastings Museum & Art Gallery due to be launched in February 2022.
Past Projects include the ‘We’re here. We’re queer.’ exhibition at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery, showcasing personal objects related to their lives and wider LGBTQI+ narratives, plus a series of videos created by the collective exploring the history of each object.
Funded and produced by Hastings Museum and Art Gallery with support from E-J Scott (Founder of the Museum of Transology), Home Live Art and the Esmee Fairbairn Collections Fund, delivered by the Museums Association.
