The Center building located on Mills Ave. (Photo by Emily Paul)
ORLANDO | The LGBT+ Center Orlando is hosting its monthly art show next month on May 2 from 6-8 p.m.
“A Seat at the Table” will be an art show where attendees can participate in a silent auction for each of the pieces, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting The Center Orlando.
Each piece will be a coffee table given to a local artist to design and decorate in a range of different mediums. There will be 22 tables, one for each of the artists participating.
“They get to do with it artistically, whatever they want,” says George Wallace, CEO of The Center Orlando. “Each one is going to be so unique; they are all one-of-a-kind pieces.”
Wallace says he is particularly excited about the upcoming art show because it is unlike any others The Center Orlando has done in the past, with them managing the event and the art being created just for the show. The idea was inspired by United Arts’ Red Chair Affair where artists would paint chairs red and design them to announce their upcoming seasons.
Finding new and unique ways to fundraise for The Center Orlando and bring art to the community is an important part of the organization’s programming, says Wallace. This is why the art shows have been such a long-lasting series.
“It’s really great to be able to come in and see every single month different artwork and genres and artists represented in our community,” Wallace says. “Art is, for me, it’s healing. After the Pulse tragedy I didn’t go to any of the public vigils because I wasn’t ready. But in late July, the Broadway Across America had a fundraiser … and it really was the catalyst for my own healing.”
Bringing people together for these art shows and shining a light on a range of local artists in the community is also an important aspect of the art shows.
Wallace also shared some details for what people can expect from his own table design, as he will be one of the participating artists.
“My table is actually a safe sex bedside table,” says Wallace. “It will come complete with a neon glow light and a pail of condoms, that’s going to always be right there by your bedside.”
Wallace says that if the event goes well, events like it could become a recurring part of The Center Orlando’s programming and events.
“We’ll probably incorporate something else in the next year or so and try to make it an annual event, whether we change it … or we keep it the same,” says Wallace. “I really don’t know, but one of the things that I love about The Center is we’re not afraid to try new things.”
Here are all the artist participating in the Seat at the Table event:
-George Wallace, CEO of The Center Orlando
-Janis Nunez, mosaic artist
-Kim Murphy, mural painter
-Patty Sheehan, Orlando City Commissioner District 4
-Kelly Stewart, fine artist
-Amber Perry, pet and nature painter
-Trish Jimenez, jeweler and painter
-Angela Ramos, jeweler and painter
-Shannon L McElroy
-Lee Cohen, cartoonist
-Alea Schroeder
-Jane Thwaite
-Thomas Gessner
-Gabby Shepherd, painter and tattoo artist
-Armen Silverbach, painter and graphic designer
-Yuly Santos
-Shannon Nauta, multidisciplinary artist
-Dylan Todd, graphic designer and photographer
Any tables not sold during the event will remain on display in The Center Orlando through the month of May and will be available for sale.
“A Seat at the Table” will take place May 2, from 6 – 8 p.m. at The Center Orlando, located at 942 N. Mills Ave. For more information go to TheCenterOrlando.org.
