Showcasing the works of 28 artists from the Philadelphia area, Moving Forward When the World Stopped: Queer Life 2020-2021 presents a timeline of events, memories, and experiences from the past year. The pain of suffering through the pandemic, the shifts in our relationship with technology, the immense amount of loss, the calls to action, and our strength to carry on as a community are all themes explored by artists of this show.

During this long period of uncertainty, there were times we found comfort in the care of others, through loved ones, and through members of our communities. We’ve seen the artistic landscape change completely, with in-person shows adjusting, shifting to online formats, and many artists spending more time at home, embracing new mediums.

There is no singular way to describe this past year’s traumatic experience just as there is no singular way to depict or process such events. It is together as a community that we can begin to rebuild and maintain a renewed sense of hope.

This exhibition features works by Allis Chang, Charlie Welch, Chloe Luisa Piñero, Christine Jung, Cheyanne Kemp, Coco Spencer, Daisy Diamond, Emilia Onthank, Erin Moore, Frankie Modesto, Harry Hoy, JaySquids, Kara Mshinda, Lawrence Ade Scales, Logan JM, Lucia Garzón, M. Albertson, Moss Collins, Partly Cloudy Press, Patrick Dunn, Rebecca Schultz, Riley Gosnell, Robert Reinhardt, Sarah Trad, SirSaxana, Steven Valera, Tristan Kravitz, and Vicente Ortiz Cortez.

Chelsey Luster & Alec Rogers, curators