Watsonville artist Melissa West is the co-curator for the latest exhibit at PV Arts, “Hers, His, Theirs, Ours: Queer Expression,” on Sudden Street. (Photos by Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

A new exhibit highlighting the LGBTQ community has filled the walls of PV Arts on Sudden Street.

Titled “Hers, His, Theirs, Ours: Queer Expression,” the show includes more than 70 artists, both local and from outside the community, and features a huge range of media, from oils and acrylic on canvas and board to ceramics, glass, photography, quilting, print making and collage.

This painting, by Tino Rodriguez, is titled “A Melody of Silence and Joy.”

“The show looks great and we’re seeing art come in from all over, even as far as Pennsylvania,” said Watsonville artist and co-curator Melissa West. “But mostly the Bay Area, and as far south as King City. A lot of talent has gone into the collection.” West, who works in printmaking and painting, said it was her first show to help curate at the gallery.

“What we have here is a huge variety of subject matter and medium that reflects the variety of the community,” she said.

A statement from the gallery explains that the exhibit challenges societal depictions of queer culture, choosing instead to amplify its depth, its struggles and its triumphs.

Alisa Golden entered her quilt, titled “Rainbow Roll,” in the show.

“Each work is a testament to the vibrancy of queer existence—a refusal to be flattened into a single story, and by extension,

dismantling the veil of ignorance and contempt,” the statement reads. 

If you go

Opening Reception and Gallery of High Fashion and Opulence: A Drag Showcase
June 8, 1–4pm at 37 Sudden St., Watsonville

Film Screening: Not the Last Love Letter
In collaboration with the Diversity Center of Santa Cruz
June 20, 6–9pm in the Porter Building, 280 Main St., Watsonville
RSVP Required: tinyurl.com/PVAntllFor information:  pvarts.org/queer-expression.

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Tarmo Hannula has been the lead photographer with The Pajaronian newspaper in Watsonville since 1997. More recently Good Times & Press Banner. He also reports on a wide range of topics, including police, fire, environment, schools, the arts and events. A fifth generation Californian, Tarmo was born in the Mother Lode of the Sierra (Columbia) and has lived in Santa Cruz County since the late 1970s. He earned a BA from UC Santa Cruz and has traveled to 33 countries.

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