Art is protest. Art is healing. And starting this winter, it’s also a way for Logan’s lesbian, sapphic, bisexual, queer, and trans women to connect, create, and get unapologetically loud about who they are.
The Logan Lesbian Art & Storytelling Collective (LLASC) is launching a six-part art and social workshop series — a space where we can peel back the layers, paint our truths, and honour the complex, messy beauty of queer identity.
Funded by Lesbians Incorporated, the workshops kick off 21 June and run every fortnight through to 30 August 2025 at the Bethania Community Centre. They’re free, materials are provided, and there’s no pressure to be “good at art” — just come with your story, your questions, your rage, your joy.
Logan lesbians unite! Finally, a creative space just for us.
There’s something pretty radical about picking up a paintbrush and saying, “This is who I am.” And that’s exactly what the Logan Lesbian Art & Storytelling Collective (LLASC) is all about — unapologetic self-expression, co-creation, and community care… through art.
Let’s be real. We’ve had a lifetime of being told who we are not — too loud, too soft, too queer, too complicated. So this workshop series isn’t about staying inside the lines. It’s about throwing the bloody lines out the window.
Here’s a peek into the wild, wonderful, and deeply personal art practices fuelling this six-part series.
Workshop 1: Mannequins with a message
Let’s start with “Before & After: Messages That Shaped Us.” Think of this as a makeover — not of yourself, but of all those garbage messages you’ve had to unlearn. Participants decorate two mannequins: one soaked in shame, silence and stereotypes; the other radiating freedom, pride, and defiance.
Expect paint, collage, fabric scraps, maybe a bit of glitter rage. There’s also a blank “community mannequin” for the public to scribble on — because unlearning isn’t a solo job.
Art style: Bold symbolism, tactile textures, text-based storytelling. Think protest meets scrapbook.
Workshop 2: Weaving our selves together
“The Many Strands of Me” is less about weaving tapestries and more about weaving your whole damn self into existence. Pride flags? Blend them. Cultural identity? Thread it in.
Childhood survival and adult joy? Knot it together. This is a slow, rhythmic rebellion — turning yarn and ribbon into a portrait of complexity.
Art style: Textile-based identity collage. Literal or abstract. The colours tell your story.
Workshop 3: Painting pride in your own skin
With a palette knife and acrylic paints, “Pride in My Own Skin” is where things get raw. No, not your high school art class — this is expressive self-portraiture. You bring a photo not to create something realistic. It’s about resonance. Revelling in your imperfect perfection. What does it feel like to be proud of who you are?
Under the guidance of artist Omi Lee, folks will mix colour, texture, and heart to paint their truth. It’s messy, cathartic, and bloody beautiful.
Art style: Expressive portraiture. Layers, knife strokes, texture. Art therapy meets visibility.
Workshop 4: Murals of love & loyalty
“Found and Chosen” honours the families we’ve built — the ones that showed up when blood ties didn’t. Think large-scale collaborative table cloth, set for our chosen family. We’ll fill it with names, symbols, memories. Everyone paints their own chosen family constellation, then leaves blank spaces for others to join in.
It’s connection as art. A queer family map written in the stars. No rules.
Art style: Collaborative mural. Symbolic, abstract, fluid. No two constellations are the same.
Workshop 5: Wall of Resilience
Now this one’s loud. “The Wall of Resilience” is protest art in its proudest form. Affirmations, slogans, survival mantras — all painted, stencilled, and stuck onto a brick-style wall. It’s meant to be bold. Insta-worthy. A living archive of queer resistance.
And the best part? The wall keeps growing. Festival goers can add their own grit and glory.
Art style: Street-inspired. Text-driven. Grungy. Loud. Stickers, spray paint, and protest energy.
Workshop 6: Queer joy, unleashed
Last but not least, “Queer Joy: What Makes Us Shine.” Help us decorate our recording booth to create a kaleidoscope of colour that captures what makes our community thrive.
Art style: Vibrant. Radiating, flowing, layered. This one’s pure joy with a paintbrush.
Why art?
Because words fail. Because healing is rarely linear. Because when we make art together, we make space for each other. And in that space, futures get imagined — messily, queerly, and with a whole lot of glitter.
Art lets us re-story ourselves, co-create with community, and anchor pride in something you can touch.
And yeah, maybe it’s just paint or yarn or a bit of MDF… but in the hands of queer folks reclaiming our place in the world? That’s revolution, babe.
Wanna join us?
Workshops run from 21 June to 30 August 2025 at the Bethania Community Centre. They’re free, all materials are provided, and you don’t need to be “good at art” — just hungry to explore, express, and connect.
Let’s make some beautiful mess together.