Live Arts 2026 Pride Exhibition

“Where is the Imagination in Protest?” This question was posed by Live Arts Artistic Director Bill T. Jones during a conversation with visual artist and activist Dread Scott at the launch of Fall of Freedom in 2025, an urgent call to artists and arts institutions to make work amplifying struggles against repression and state violence. Live Arts’ premier open call Pride exhibit echoes this call to queer-identifying artists of all generations whose work confronts our current political moment in imaginative ways. 

Live Arts has proudly invited artists Lola Flash and Beau McCall to anchor the group exhibition. Together, these trailblazers teach us to wield a force queer artists–– and queer folx–– have cultivated throughout generations: Imagination. Lola Flash’s self-portraits from syzygy the vision suspend nature and memory in a multi-dimensional contemplation, attentively fastening the Black body to futurity; and Beau McCall’s World Spinnin’ on a 45 (B-Side) embroiders the necessity of celebration into the socially conscious 1972 song by The Staple Singers, We The People.

Amidst a fall of freedom, Dylan Richmond, Tyler Ashley, Bjorn Amelan come together to co-curate an unabashed celebration of the diverse queer artistry in New York City.