Fab AF Executive Director Shannon Fortner (far R) with their band MeteorEYES. (Photo courtesy Shannon Fortner)
The Fabulous Arts Foundation, formerly the Harvey Milk Festival, rebranded in 2021, but the Sarasota nonprofit’s focus on elevating LGBTQ+ voices hasn’t wavered since 2009.
Founder and Executive Director Shannon Fortner has made sure of it. The LGBTQ+ and arts advocate has overseen the organization since its inception and its endeavors include the Fabulous Independent Film Festival and the Be Fabulous Music & Arts Pride Fest, a three-day celebration returning for the fourth time May 2-4.
The gathering, which welcomed thousands pre-pandemic, was restructured last year out of necessity. It was held at the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, billed as “a special gathering place in Sarasota for those who truly appreciate music and community,” where it will once again culminate.
Fortner estimates the gathering welcomed around 500 people last year.
“Fogartyville is a smaller space compared to a large park in the downtown area but we were still able to hold space for the community and rally folks together in a safe space,” they say. “The folks at Fogartyville are wonderful to work with and have been on the forefront of equity and inclusion work, so it was nice to align our missions.”
To recreate last year’s success, organizers will once again “lift up LGBTQ+ people by fostering emerging artists [and] exploring ways to heal through the arts.” Festivities will begin May 2 with the opening of the month-long “Empowered.”
The art exhibition will celebrate “the vibrant creativity of LGBTQ+ artists” in partnership with the Social Equity through Education Alliance, or SEE Alliance, at 615 S. Orange Ave. The student-founded and student-led organization uses “innovative technology and techniques to organize Floridian communities and the youth vote.”
“This exhibition aims to create a platform for LGBTQ+ artists to share their stories and perspectives, fostering understanding, empathy and connection among viewers,” it’s described. The opening is scheduled from 3-10 p.m. and admission is free, though donations are welcome.
“Our intention is to support the community and help them feel empowered using the arts to rally together,” Fortner says. The event will feature spoken word and other performance pieces as artists from Tampa Bay and beyond showcase their work.
Day two will feature Swamp Yell, a queer art collective that falls under Fab AF’s umbrella. Their mission is “to bring together queer artists with radical openness and unfiltered expression [and] to embark on the power of process and community to reveal the individual and collective truths we discover … to provide a platform to witness a variety of voices and experiences.”
Artists include Jess Pope, Gabriele Keusch, Mike Murphy and more “as they present works focusing on dance, movement and sound, exploring intersectionality and embracing change.” The collective will perform at The Players Studio, located at 1400 Blvd of the Arts #200, from 7-9:30 p.m.
The group formed as a result of the pandemic, Fortner says, when Fab AF was looking for ways to support artists as well as push them out of their comfort zones. They expect the collective will do exactly that for the nonprofit, creating additional performances and productions in the future.
Day three is a return to form for the festival. Fab AF will welcome supporters to Fogartyville May 4 from 3-10 p.m. to celebrate LGBTQ+ activism and entertainment, emceed by board member Jay Moore.
“This is an exciting year for the Be Fabulous Festival. With it being an election year we are privileged to bring our community together,” he says. “I’m looking forward to jamming with the community, covering some important LGBTQ+ topics and answering any questions people might have about the trans community or the trans experience.”
This year’s keynote will be provided by Jules Rayne, Equality Florida’s community organizer for Sarasota, a skilled musician and more. Vendors and other speakers are expected as well.
“That’s something we always try to do — make sure that people have a platform to communicate anything that needs to be addressed to the community,” Fortner says. “Or to rally or educate the community. We try to hold space for folks to share whatever they’re working on.”
This year’s musical acts will include Fortner’s band MeteorEYES, Summer Hoop, Zeta The Babe, Brittany Zeff, Nowincolor and Gracie Cespedes. The final hour will feature an 18+ drag show, with more surprises expected.
“It’s really important to create safe spaces and have visibility in our state so that our community members feel seen and heard,” Fortner says. “Especially artists that are able to express themselves. The arts really have an unspeakable language and we want everyone to come out to explore that, learning from the artists and finding community.
“It’s really important, especially in an election year,” Fortner adds. “We need to get together as many times as we can.”
That mentality is one of the reasons Fab AF will also launch Friendly City Pride May 26, a new LGBTQ+ celebration coming to Bradenton. They’ll do so in partnership with the Friendly City Foundation.
The nonprofit works to create “relevant and accessible opportunities for emerging and underestimated communities in Bradenton/Sarasota” through programming and providing resources. The inaugural event will take place from 3-10 p.m. at the music venue Oscura, located at 816 Manatee Ave. E. in Downtown Bradenton.
The celebration will welcome Valerie Fisher for its opening ceremonies, founder of the region’s Manatee Pride. The celebration was eventually gifted to ALSO Youth and last held in 2023 before it was taken over by Project Pride and absorbed into this year’s forthcoming iteration of Sarasota Pride, held outside of Manatee County.
As for the Be Fabulous Music & Arts Pride Fest, Fortner teases the event will return to Five Points Park in 2025, giving celebrants more space, and shares that other exciting ventures are in the works. They note Fab AF is closer than ever to securing a community center, which they’ll use to produce events throughout the year.
“We’re excited,” Fortner says. “Our main goal is to fill the needs of the community … we’re always trying to be inclusive and find ways to work together to do that.”
For more information, visit FabAF.org.
