Joy is a party, grief is a protest| On view in the Duane K. Mickelson Gallery from 7 August - 29 November 2026
Reception
6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday 7 August 2026
The reception will be a collaborative effort with the public, including the opportunity for folks to share their stories orally or written, create and contribute textile patches to the installation, and collage “pocket altars” to take home.
Join us for “Joy is a party, grief is a protest”—an exhibition and community collaboration by FM People’s Pride Art Collective.
The exhibition is presented in part with support from Canopy Medical Clinic.
Statement
Building trust in a revolution requires a level of vulnerability that encompasses all emotions. Joy can only exist with the presence of grief and rage. Within these altars we have built together we honor our joy, grief, rage, queer bodies, queer lives, and queer loves. Visitors and community members are encouraged to leave small tokens, notes, photos, flowers, ephemera, and mementos to pay respect to themselves and to their ancestors at the altar of their choosing.
About the collective
FM People’s Pride is an artist collective currently comprised of six member-artists who work with neighboring friends, family, creatives, and the world around them. This multidisciplinary exhibition—the collective’s debut show— draws from the personal experiences and practices of each of the members. The artist-organizers that founded FM People’s Pride Art Collective built the studio practice upon ******abolitionist, decolonial, & anti-capitalist values. In the last year they’ve explored many mediums through collaborative skill-sharing including paint, collage, ceramics, fiber arts, beading, and print.
See FMPPAC’s mission statement here: “Together we collaborate with the community to create art and gatherings that express the grief and joy felt by those made most vulnerable by the U.S. empire.”
Reception
6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday 7 August 2026
The reception will be a collaborative effort with the public, including the opportunity for folks to share their stories orally or written, create and contribute textile patches to the installation, and collage “pocket altars” to take home.
Join us for “Joy is a party, grief is a protest”—an exhibition and community collaboration by FM People’s Pride Art Collective.
The exhibition is presented in part with support from Canopy Medical Clinic.
Statement
Building trust in a revolution requires a level of vulnerability that encompasses all emotions. Joy can only exist with the presence of grief and rage. Within these altars we have built together we honor our joy, grief, rage, queer bodies, queer lives, and queer loves. Visitors and community members are encouraged to leave small tokens, notes, photos, flowers, ephemera, and mementos to pay respect to themselves and to their ancestors at the altar of their choosing.
About the collective
FM People’s Pride is an artist collective currently comprised of six member-artists who work with neighboring friends, family, creatives, and the world around them. This multidisciplinary exhibition—the collective’s debut show— draws from the personal experiences and practices of each of the members. The artist-organizers that founded FM People’s Pride Art Collective built the studio practice upon ******abolitionist, decolonial, & anti-capitalist values. In the last year they’ve explored many mediums through collaborative skill-sharing including paint, collage, ceramics, fiber arts, beading, and print.
See FMPPAC’s mission statement here: “Together we collaborate with the community to create art and gatherings that express the grief and joy felt by those made most vulnerable by the U.S. empire.”
