More than 30 traders showcased their work at the Manchester Queer Art Market at the Proud Place just off Oxford Road yesterday.
The market has been running since December 2022, but this was its first time at the Proud Place, a queer community space run by the Proud Trust, a LGBT+ youth charity.
All three floors were bustling with traders and shoppers admiring the vibrant and striking artwork.
One of the founders, James Saunders, an artist himself, started the market to foster an inclusive space for queer art.
“I found that a lot of markets were not the right demographic for my work – you’d get a lot of comments and looks,” he said.
“It’s really nice having a market that’s just for the queer community – you know your work will be accepted and welcomed.”
The Proud Place building opened 2 years ago and offers events, community groups and co-working spaces to the local LGBT+ community.
Jennifer Skelland, the centre manager, said: “Our sellers at this market are championing diverse voices, it’s giving a platform to people to explore their creativity in a way that maybe they don’t get to in other spaces.
“Everyone’s come out smiling, it’s been such a lovely evening.”
For more information and upcoming market dates, go to @mcrqueerartmarket on Instagram. https://www.theproudtrust.org/
Image Credit: Google Maps 2024
