Fifty Voices
Fifty Voices
A fifty-state commissioned artistic record of LGBTQ+ American life.
Made in small towns. Created by Americans. Seen by the nation.
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What is Fifty Voices
What is Fifty Voices
Fifty Voices is our flagship program. It's a commissioned record of LGBTQ+ life in America, built state by state and made by artists who live in those states. We put deliberate weight on smaller and non-metropolitan communities, because that's where national arts funding tends to pass over. Every artist is paid to make one original work. The artist keeps creative control, and agrees in writing on where the work lives once it's made. There's no finish line on this. We keep commissioning, and the collection keeps growing.
How it works
How it works
Commission
An artist in a state is selected and paid to create one original work.
It opens at home
The finished work is exhibited first where the artist lives, in local libraries, community centers and civic spaces, with the artist there.
It travels
From there, the work goes on to other exhibitions around the country, and eventually in Washington, DC.
It stays
Every work enters a permanent, publicly accesible collection professionally document and preserved.
The road to fifty states
The road to fifty states
Volume One | 2027–2028
12 artists commissioned · 12 states represented
Volume Two | 2028–2029
13 artists commissioned · 25 states represented
Volume Three | 2029–2030
13 artists commissioned · 38 states represented
Volume Four | 2030–2031
12 artists commissioned · 50 states represented
Each volume adds one new state for every artist, and each artist makes one work. The artist and state counts above are cumulative, not annual. A Complete Collection Exhibition across all fifty states follows in 2031–2032.
Volume One
Volume One
Volume One commissions twelve artists from twelve states. Priority goes to smaller, non-metropolitan communities. Each artist receives a stipend of $2,500 for one original work, and each agrees in writing on where the work lives after it's made. Volume One is in its founding phase. The figures here reflect current planning.
Where the work goes
Where the work goes
Work is shown locally first, in libraries, community centers and civic spaces. Then it travels to Washington, DC. Every exhibition is paired with artist talks and public programs, so the community sees the art and hears the story behind it. Art doesn't make an argument. It makes you feel something.
Artist applications
Artist applications
We're not accepting artist applications yet. Volume One will open with a call for artists. When it does, we'll publish the full guidelines here and email our list the same day, so nobody has to keep checking this page. If you have a question in the meantime, write to alexgrant@arttobeseen.org.
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