Out Loud, a queer arts show, debuted in July at the Art Theatre. The show will return in 2019 to the Fourth Street movie palace. Photo: Out Loud.
LONG BEACH — Organizers of Out Loud, the local queer arts show that launched in the summer, have started planning next year’s event.
The nonprofit group says that the free arts festival will take place June 29 from 1 to 4 p.m and return to the Art Theatre.
Artists have not yet been confirmed, but will reflect the diversity of this year’s show, including poetry, literature, song, dance, theater, and film, said Dave Russo, founder of Out Loud.
QUEER VISIBILITY
The event is important because it brings visibility to LGBTQ artists, Russo said.
“If Out Loud can help even one person come out more publicly, live more openly, and look more compassionately at their neighbors, regardless of class, status, race, or any other social marker, I will consider it a success,” said founder Dave Russo. “Combating hatred and bigotry really comes down to one thing, visibility.”
This year’s festival showcased 22 artists, including eight poets and 14 artists representing photography, painting, jewelry, sculpture, and glass. Their work was displayed on stage at the Art Theatre.
In an interview this summer with Q Voice News, Russo said art bridges understanding with people.
“We want people to know us through the arts,” Russo said. “It’s hard to hate people whose acting you enjoy, whose music you love. It’s harder to marginalize them.”
PLANNING FOR 2019
Russo hopes to expand next year’s Out Loud festival with craft workshops, a panel discussion, a celebrity emcee, a week-long art exhibition in Fourth Street businesses, and an expanded musical performance.
The organization has applied for grants, approached sponsors, and launched a GoFundMe page.
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