In Ashlyn Slaviero’s oil-acrylic painting, Lay Me Gently, a person lies naked in a field filled with plants and beside a bog.

The person rests on their side, covers their face, and tries to hide their vulnerability from the world.

“The bog is a harsh, acidic environment, a home to plants that almost seem alien,” wrote Slaviero in her artist statement.

“These plants rely on carnivorous diets, acidic soil that is not conducive to other plants’ growth, and visceral features used to ward off predators. The parallels of queerness run strong and can feed into the idea of othered and alone. This ‘othered-ness’ manifests as our most insurmountable fears, but also fosters our strongest bonds and diverse communities.”

Slaviero’s compelling piece is featured in The Queer Show, a mixed-media exhibit showcasing artwork by 36 LGBTQ+ artists and running through June 26 at Ypsilanti’s Dzanc House.

“I really love that a week prior to the opening, [Ashlyn Slaviero] shared with her parents that she is queer, and look at that, what an incredible way to come out and celebrate and be in this exhibition,” said Amanda May Moore, creative director and residency coordinator for Dzanc House.

“And then there are a lot of pieces that really speak to just the right to exist and queerness and how their existence is political in creating art.”

Moore co-curated The Queer Show with Jen Eastridge, a former Ypsilanti resident who recently relocated to Montana and previously owned the Unicorn Feed & Supply gift shop.

Moore also worked with Madison Cantrell, darkroom director and gallery coordinator for Dzanc House and one of the artists featured in the exhibit, to hang and display the artwork.

“And this is Jen’s show,” Moore said. “The Queer Show is something that Jen [had] hosted at Stone & Spoon’s gallery for some time for a number of years. When I asked if Jen would curate a show here, she asked if she could curate The Queer Show.”

They compiled an inclusive and inspirational exhibit, which features a variety of pieces, ranging from textiles and origami to paintings and photography, and represents a diversity of artistic skill sets.

Visitors can view The Queer Show throughout the lower level of Dzanc House, which serves as a creative hub for local, regional, and national literary and cultural arts programming.

“It’s a celebration of our community, our queer community, and that they rightfully deserve a space,” Moore said. “There are so many different stories that you can see throughout this exhibition and so much beauty to hold.”

Another insightful piece in the exhibit comes from collage artist Espi Alegre, who’s whimsical Metamorphic Embrace mixed-media figure features a tall greenish-blue cat with outstretched arms and pink, purple, and silver butterfly wings.

Alegre wants people to embrace the lifelike piece, which is made of paint, colored pencil, glitter, and glue on cardboard, and take comfort in its calming presence.

“My original concept was a painted mural, positioned at a public place where people could embrace the image,” she wrote in her artist statement. “After some research, I saw that it would take time to be approved, so I decided to bring my vision to life in 3D. It reminds me I can do anything. Gentle hugs encouraged.”

Like Alegre, Bunny hopes people smile when they see her three acrylic paintings: Smoked Sardines, PUFF-er Fish, and Gay Fish. They each feature sad, quirky fish smoking cigarettes against vibrant backgrounds.

“I feel like a lot of us need that right now more than ever, so I present to you my collection of smoking fish,” she wrote in her artist statement. “They’re just trying to chill and have a good time like all of us. But maybe they’re a little sad, too? Maybe it’s because of the current political climate, or maybe it’s just because it’s hard to smoke underwater.”

Ypsilanti artist Lena B. Ellis-Boatman also takes a political tone with xyr textile pieces, Turncoat and Life Vest. Both pieces are repurposed wool coats made with soft unryu or cotton, cut paper, relief printing, and stitching.

“These two artworks … reflect on my lived experience as a queer, genderqueer, genderfluid, and bisexual person long (mis)perceived as a gold-star lesbian and a cisgender woman,” Ellis-Boatman wrote in xyr artist statement.

“To some lesbians within circles in which I have moved, being bisexual makes me suspect—no longer a member of the club, likely an interloper, and perhaps even a traitor.”

Next, collage artist Dylan Kite addresses his existence as a bisexual man through Read Between the Lines. The rainbow mosaic collage includes illustrations of Marvel Comics superheroes woven together.

“Whether it’s the subversion of the Comics Code Authority’s historical ban on queer characters, the reclamation of nude photography of bisexual men as beautiful, or the celebration of queer pop culture icons, there is an undeniable queer title to my work,” Kite wrote in his artist statement. “Ultimately, my art highlights the joy, wonder, and strength of queer life.”

To coincide with the exhibit, Dzanc House is hosting a drag edition figure-drawing workshop on June 24, which will feature drag king Sir Guy and other models.

“It has potential to be the first time we use all three rooms with three models,” Moore said. “We’ve done two rooms and had the models switch, but I’ve always had the dream of using all three rooms and having people model in all three and having people sit to draw.”

Moore and the artists will then celebrate the exhibit’s closing with a reception on June 26. It will also highlight artwork by Ypsilanti artist Leah Schew and include a risograph printing demonstration by Moore.

“I’m always trying to educate people more on the risograph because it’s really an incredible resource to make prints as an artist to sell, or if you want to create a zine,” she said.

“I’ll be printing CJ Tyer’s mountain painting, [Is He OK?]. I love the mountain with a little bit of whimsy with the person on top of [it], so we’ll be doing a riso print version of that.”

Lori Stratton is a library technician, writer for Pulp, and writer and editor of strattonsetlist.com.

“The Queer Show” exhibit runs through June 26 at Dzanc House, 402 South Huron Street, Ypsilanti. Visitors can view the exhibit on June 21 from 6 pm to 8 pm during the gallery’s open hours. They can also attend the closing reception on June 26 from 6 pm to 9 pm. The exhibit and closing reception are free and open to the public. For details, visit Dzanc House’s website.