But Can I Pay My Rent Tho?!: Surviving as a TQPOC Artist
April 1 (Part 1) & April 8 (Part 2)
6pm – 9pm
Free (Donations Accepted at gaycity.org/donate)

Without art, there can be no movements. Yet, artists are often unrewarded for being the drivers of change, which has created a culture of unsustainable practices. In particular, being a Black/Brown artist who is along the trans and/or queer spectrum means that we are more at risk of being underpaid and undervalued for our brilliance. This workshop will make space for trans & queer artists of color to develop long-term strategies towards a life supported by their creative work. Participants of these sessions are artists and cultural producers of all disciplines who are ready to build a career from their practice. Part 1 (Feb. 28) will focus on evaluating your financial needs and plans as an artist. Part 2 (Mar. 7) will recharge your marketing needs and put your plan into action. This workshop will intentionally engage a framework of dismantling anti-Blackness, white supremacy, transphobia, and more as we imagine the role of TQPOC artists creating their own liberation.

Accessibility Info: The Calamus Auditorium at Gay City is ADA accessible, has two single-stall all-gender restrooms, and is minimally scented. There will be scent free soap in the restrooms. More info: gaycity.org/access

J Mase III is a Black/Trans/Queer poet based in Seattle by way of NYC. A blogger for the Huffington Post, he is the author of “If I Should Die Under the Knife, Tell My Kidney I was the Fiercest Poet Around” as well as “And Then I Got Fired: One Transqueer’s Reflections on Grief, Unemployment and Inappropriate Jokes About Death.” As an educator, Mase has worked with thousands of community members in the US, UK, and Canada on the needs of LGBTQIA youth and adults in spaces such as k-12 schools, universities, faith communities, and restricted care facilities among others. He is the founder of the international performance tour “Cupid Ain’t @#$%!: An Anti-Valentine’s Day Poetry Movement” and of awQward, the first ever trans & queer people of color specific talent agency.

You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, and awQwardtalent.com.