IGNITING PASSION WITH THE QUARTER

by Veronica L. Holyfield

For anyone who is deemed a creative, be it amateur or professional, the line between feedback and criticism is often obscure and blurred, and for artists of all mediums, putting work into the world is scary and often followed by negativity and nastiness. When seeking work, networking is essential, and once a job is booked, it is often necessary to collaborate with other creatives. However, how do folks proceed when the culture of creativity is often stifling rather than uplifting? The Quarter is trying to change all that for LGBTQ folks and allies through a collaborative and inspirational, online community. Founders and friends Sena Astorga and Caro Bernardini created The Quarter as a passion project to foster a safe space for creatives (artists, musicians, poets, writers, etc.) who embrace the LGBTQ community to contribute creative visions, provide and receive feedback from other creatives, and to connect with others who share similar artistic passions. Stemming from a combination of the words queer and art, the laid back, albeit deliberate approach of fostering such a community has truly sparked and ignited a synergetic energy for folks who were looking for just this. “One of the reasons why we created this community was to be a counterculture of what happens on the internet and to open a safe environment for everybody to show their stuff,” explains Bernardini. “People can criticize, and especially in our community or towards members of the LGBT community.” Astorga explains that the way in which people use social media and the internet to share and showcase their art can create an unapproachable space for others.

“People show off stuff like these grand, illusionary, one-ofa-kind types of art, and it's cool; their work is good, but it does come up very intimidating for someone who's just starting out or is not used to showing their work. It becomes really discouraging,” Astorga confesses. The nature of art in and of itself is extremely vulnerable, and oftentimes for LGBTQ folks, it can be a way of healing through trauma, rejection, and societal marginalization, and for feedback and critique to come from a place other than positive and helpful can be extra damaging. Through extensive sharing of their own pieces, either finished projects or works in progress, Astorga and Bernardini have seen engagement grow, and people of all skill levels and artistic mediums are sharing their work and receiving kudos and encouragement. From a place of authenticity and a genuine desire to create a collaborative community, The Quarter is thriving, and the founders couldn’t be more thrilled.

Having only been active since June of this year, the Facebook group has already amassed a large following of active and eager participants by the collective encouragement of both Astorga and Bernardini. The Quarter has members who are painters, graphic designers, cross-stitchers, writers, woodworkers, and even hairstylists. The page's discussion feed not only features projects, but, there are recommendations of books, queer artist features from magazines, and even funny memes to keep everyone feeling inspired.

“Mainstream doesn’t really talk about queer history whatsoever, so it’s a kind of a nice break to find something that you’re going to actually learn about and enjoy instead of having the doom and gloom on you all day,” Astorga says. Bernardini adds, “Especially on Facebook, you have your feed saturated with everything that’s going on, so there’s a break, if needed.” While the two are based out of Denver, through the nature of virtual communication, they are looking to reach outside of the Mile High City to connect with as many queer creatives as they can and provide a safe space for them, to collaborate, educate, and participate. Though The Quarter may have begun as a couple of friends exploring ways to brainstorm with other creatives and create a safe space for artistic feedback, it’s clear that their authentic, vulnerable, and respectful approach to building community ignites a passion for engaged creativity which transcends any and all expectations. We talked to Astorga and Bernardini about a couple of their most meaningful pieces.

SENA ASTORGA The picture that I drew actually came from a photograph by a woman named Tanya Chalkin. It was a black-and-white photograph in the early 2000s, and I remember it being a hot topic because lesbians were very sexualized when it came to, like, the media and stuff like that.

The first time I saw that photograph, it felt like it was basically like the first time that my sexuality was legitimate; it wasn’t some kind of deviant concept; I could find a real, human connection. So, it was, like, a big thing for me, and in high school, I had an opportunity to draw something that was inspirational and naturally I chose that picture. Unfortunately, my teacher was a bit homophobic, and she tried to fight with me about whether or not I was allowed to submit that as an assignment. It was not only the first time that I felt like my sexuality was perceived to be a legitimate form of love and human connection, but also the first time that I've ever had to defend my sexuality against the outside world. It was a lot of fun recreating something that was really important to me at 17, and redoing it now is still just as important at 32 as well. CARO BERNARDINI My piece is a memorial piece for Walter Mercado who is an icon in the LGBT community since forever, especially in the Hispanic LGBT community. I moved from Argentina in 2003, and I had a lot of spare time when I got in the country, and one of the things that I did a lot was watch TV. I remember watching Walter Mercado, and I'm like, ‘Who are you!?’ He was this glamorous, glorious, very flamboyant astrologer, and I would be amazed by his outfits and body positivity. Coming from a Latino background, the LGBTQ community is not very widely accepted in many countries. The fact that he could be himself in the 80s, and nobody questioned him; everybody loved him. I feel that it's something that speaks to all the stuff that I am: I'm an immigrant; I'm gay and Latina.