PRIDE n' Shine

PAC & Friends

Hosted by PAC & SEA of Visibility

A healing-centered queer arts event!

Featuring Born this Way Performers and MOSAIC LGBTQIA+ Exhibit

Plus Rainbow Open Mic

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Join us in celebrating five vibrant years of LGBTQIA+ visibility, creativity, and community by sponsoring Pride n’ Shine, presented by the Patchogue Arts Council & Friends. This joyful event uplifts the voices and talents of local LGBTQIA+ performers, musicians, poets, and visual artists in a dynamic, inclusive celebration of pride through the arts. Curated by renowned artist and advocate Anu Annam, Pride n’ Shine is more than a festival—it’s a radiant affirmation of self-expression, solidarity, and healing. Designed as a safe, welcoming space for all, the event fosters meaningful connection, creativity, and pride while supporting mental wellness through the transformative power of the arts supported by allopathic and holistic clinicians friendly to the LGBTQIA+ community. There will be vendors and arts activities for all ages. 

Performances by 

Bella Noche - Drag LaBelle Bell — Drag 

Andraleia Buch — bass

Rusty Rose — Stonewall Trailblazer & Poetry

Jane Olivia Remauro — Punk-Folk Guitar & Vocals Singer Songwriter

Kyle Royce — Pop & R&B Vocals and Piano 

Rorie Kelly — Folk-Rock Singer Songwriter 

Brandon Ramirez — Pop Singer-Songwriter&

🌈Introducing the RAINBOW Open Mic featuring Empathology

MOSAIC LGBTQIA+ Artists

• Laura Resurreccion

• Sam Nuke

• Eileen Thomas 

• Victoria Shields

• Rob Stenzel

• Niri Art (Dr. Nichelle Rivers)

• John Schindler

• Michael Lombardi

• Anu Annam

• and Artists from Gender Equality NY

Healing:

Reiki

Counseling

LGBTQIA+ friendly medical providers

Massage

Arts Activities:

Bracelet-making

Community painting

Kids art table

WHAT WAS THE STRANGEST TIME IN YOUR LIFE?
 

Was it during the pandemic, or another time when you traversed a period of weirdness—alone or with a small group of others?

Strangeness can feel isolating, but it can also be a celebration of individuality. What is absurdity? Whimsy? Oddity? Is “strange” necessarily negative?

Many of us experience strange periods in our lives—sometimes lasting years. Disability, too, can be a strange existence. But this group, SEA of Visibility, embraces our—at times crushing—foibles. Together, we overcome hurdles and shatter stereotypes. Through art, we explore and explain strangeness, difficulty, and trauma—including the kinds that surfaced or deepened during the pandemic.

We are unique individuals who find community, commonality, and friendship through sharing—even, and perhaps especially, our weirdest works.

EXHIBITING ARTISTS

• Amanda Reilly | www.amandareilly.com

• Anu Annam | www.anuannam.art | shop.anuannam.art

• Chloe Wheeler

• Christophe Lima | www.christophelima.com

• DP Starr

• Kyle Horne | IG: @kylehorneart

• Margaret Minardi | IG: @margaretminardiart

• Maya Kawachi | IG: @kawachi_illustrations

• Nichelle Rivers | www.nichellerivers.com

• Patty Eljaiek | www.pattyeljaiek.com

• Randi Pandover

• Regina Holliday | IG: @reginasartgallery

• Rob Stenzel | IG: @counting_stars_backwards

• Robyn Bellospirito | www.robynbellospirito.com

• Rose Thorn | IG: @rose.thorn.77377692

• Roya Jenner | www.studioroya.com

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SEA of Visibility: The Voyage

Curator: Anu Annam

Cover Artwork: Maya Kawachi

Exhibition Dates:

Friday, August 6 – Monday, September 6, 2021

Artist Reception:

Friday, August 20, 5:00–8:00 PM
Please note: This reception will be closed to friends and family of artists due to COVID safety guidelines.

Exhibition Statement:

The tides of life can bring intense experiences that shape one’s character and worldview—often quietly, invisibly. But beneath the surface lies a significant personal voyage.

A mental health crisis, a loved one suffering, or the grief of loss can transform our lives, dissolving any illusion of invincibility and revealing a deeper humility. The struggle to survive, compounded by the stigma surrounding trauma and illness, often renders our rich, vibrant, introspective stories invisible. Those who suffer can find themselves isolated—stranded in a vast, tumultuous ocean of silence and disconnection.

SEA of Visibility brings these visual stories safely to shore. In "The Voyage," we share our hero’s journeys—each one unique, deeply personal, and expressed through art that is thought-provoking, sad, joyful, scary, and sometimes, even unexpectedly, funny.

This exhibition is a call to visibility: to add your vision, your voice, and your voyage. By making the invisible visible, we invite connection, healing, and a sense of integration—not just for individuals, but for the collective.

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CONTEXT 2 CONTENT: (im)material girls — Makon's Monsters

🎃 A Halloween Drawing Séance & Performance
Friday, October 27 | 6:00 – 8:30 PM
📍 Patchogue Arts Council • Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA)
🆓 FREE Event – Supplies Included
📲 RSVP Required – Link in Bio

Presented by

Interdisciplinary Artist Anu Annam & Performance Artist Makon Mayhem

Join us for a one-of-a-kind Halloween art experience where performance meets portraiture, story meets sketching, and monsters meet meaning.

The Experience

Our Model of a Thousand Faces, Makon Mayhem, arrives plain-faced in femme appearance, with a visible disability. As the evening unfolds, makeup, music, and monologue transform her into one of her signature monsters—

• The terrifying grin of The Joker

• The fragile sorrow of Edward Scissorhands

• The raw honesty of "You Should See the Other Guy"

• Or perhaps, a resurrection of Kurt Cobain

Throughout the performance, guests are invited to draw, sketch, or write—capturing not just Makon's evolving appearance, but the story, mood, and emotion she conjures.

🎨 All skill levels and interpretations are welcome.
✏️ Anu Annam will offer guidance, prompts, and support for anyone needing creative direction.

Extras

🍬 Tricks & Treats served during break
👻 Costumes encouraged!

Funding & Support

Proudly co-sponsored by Stony Brook Medicine
Funded by the New York State Council on the Arts,
with Patchogue Arts Council • MoCA as Fiscal Sponsor for
Anu Annam, recipient of the 2023 Interdisciplinary Artist Award

Will You Join Us in 2024?

This free, high-end, affirming art series celebrates queer identity, invisible disability, and community expression.

💌 If you’d like to support or help continue this powerful work beyond 2023, contact us to get involved.

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SEA of Visibility Symposium
5th Anniversary Celebration & Fundraiser

Supporting Innovative Arts Programming by Multiply Marginalized Artists

Presented by Walt Whitman Birthplace Association in collaboration with Suffolk NOW

Introducing OASIS

(Our Artists' Support & Individual Self-Care)

Event Highlights

• Art Exhibition & Auction

• Historical Multicultural Vendor Town Circle (More info to come)

• Artist Circles, Facilitators & Performances

• Breakfast & Lunch Provided
   

Symposium Presenters & Performers

• Dr. Nichelle Rivers (NiRi Art) – Artivist & Art Therapist

• Terri Ann – Poet, Social Worker, Surviving Patriarchy

• Stephanie Anne – Fiber Artist & Social Worker, Social Knitwork: Affirming Chatting & Sensory Breaks

• Kyle Royce – Men's Circle Workshop, Piano & Vocals

• Danielle Davis – Opera Performer

• Daemond Ardinell – Men's Circle Workshop, Poet & Teaching Artist

• Cassandra Skolnik – The Olympics Circles of Inclusion: Breaking Stereotypes of Trans Women’s and Cis Women’s Bodies and Abilities

• Anu Annam – “Get Ready With Me” Makeup & Garland-Making Workshop

• Robyn Bellospirito & More Circle Artists TBA

Community Mixer

Meet the Artists of OASIS, SEA & Members of Suffolk NOW

Celebration

Catered by Curry Club at SaGhar
(Our Longtime Food Sponsor – More Info TBA)

Live Performances by:

• Maria Tegzes Trio

• Sonali Skandan – Bharatanatyam Dancer

• Oya Bangura (@project_moveny) – Drum & Dance

• Rorie Kelly – Singer-Songwriter

• Margarita Espada (@Teatro Yerbabruja Inc.) & Dance Troupe

Tickets

Limited Advance Tickets for the Symposium Available

#visibility #disability #neuroarts #johnshopkins #who #mentalhealth #endstigmathruthearts #supportexpressionthroughthearts

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SEA of Visibility at Arts on Terry!
 

SEA of Visibility is proud to participate in Arts on Terry (AOT) this year!
 

If you are an artist interested in joining our roster, please reach out to:
📧 seaofvisibility@gmail.com

About Arts on Terry (AOT)

Date & Location:
📍 Terry Street, Patchogue – the official arts district

Arts on Terry is a contemporary art fair for all ages, featuring:
🎨 300+ artists from across Long Island
🏛️ 17+ curated pop-up galleries
🖌️ Live art demonstrations
🎭 Performances
🎶 Live music
📚 Poetry readings
🎨 PAC Paint Showdown
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family-friendly activities
👩‍🎨 Live painters throughout the day

This vibrant street fair brings together a variety of Long Island arts organizations, each showcasing curated works that represent their unique communities.

Presented by:

• Patchogue Arts Council

• Pat-Med Library

• Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce

• Patchogue BID

AOT is the signature event of the Patchogue Arts Council's Anything Goes Festival Season and is made possible with special funding from:

• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)

• New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA)

• Suffolk County

• New York Community Trust

Follow & Tag:

📱 @PatchogueArts
#ArtsonTerry #PatchogueArts #ArtsinPatchogue #VillageofPatchogue #MoCALongIsland #visibility #sea_of_visibility

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June 10, Bay Shore NY

sight of sound