The Constellations Project honors the lives of LGBTQIA2S older adults through painted portraits and storytelling using audio recordings. The older adults engage in a four-week oral history recording and portrait painting capturing their life reflections. Queer youth and young adults are then are presented with the documented stories of the older adults and create an artwork based on parts of the stories that brings them hope for their own future. The project creates an entrance point for dialogue on intergenerational community and care. The portraits, youth artworks, and audio are exhibited together periodically celebrating both generations and allowing opportunities for connection.

Through art and the practice of passing down and preserving stories, this project is a tribute to the legacy of Queer lives and history, while being an entrance point to engage an intergenerational audience. The Constellations Project is rooted in honoring non-biologic family stories as our own Queer ancestry and promoting connection with the community. 

This project has been made possible through the support of the Side Street Projects artist residency program and the 2024-25 SAGE Equity Innovation Lab micro grant program.