Queer Museum Riga presents "Who tells your story?" Exhibition | 2026 Edition

Kaņepes Kultūras centrs, Wednesday, June 3 at 06:00 PM GMT+3

[EN/LV]
The Queer Museum Riga is a queer community and youth-led initiative, creating a space dedicated to queer art.

This years exhibition is shaped by the theme: Who tells your story?

An invitation to question who is enabled to speak? Whose art ends up in museums, and for whom? What are the stories you have been looking for but cannot seem to find?
The featured artworks were submitted by local artists and community members through this year's open call.

Alongside them, some members of the volunteering project "Pride Begins" will add their own creations, alongside some artifacts from the archives.
Together we want to wonder, reflect, come close and listen what stories will wash upon shore.

Queer Museum Riga 2026 Edition || Schedule

📍The exhibition is hosted at @kanepeskc , the Pride House at the second floor. The Museum is part of @rigapride festival!

📆 Exhibition will be open between 3.-12.06., with opening hours: 16:00 - 20:00

📆 Museum will be closed on 07.06.

📆 Opening day is on Wednesday 3.06. Doors on that day open at 18:00, and at 18:30 there will be a brief opening ceremony to acknowledge and celebrate everyone involved in this year's exhibition, and to honour the past, present, and future of Queer Museum, and the his/her/themstory of our incredible queer communities in Latvia and beyond!

For additional information - follow us on Instagram and Youtube to stay tuned for everything coming next.
IG: https://www.instagram.com/queermuseumriga/
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@QueerMuseumRiga
_______________________________________________

Rīgas Kvēru muzejs ir kvēru kopienas un jauniešu vadīta iniciatīva, kas veido telpu, kas veltīta kvēru mākslai.

Šī gada izstādi veido tēma: „Kas stāsta tavu stāstu?“ Aicinājums apsvērt, kam ir dota iespēja runāt? Kura māksla nonāk muzejos un kam tā ir domāta? Kādi ir tie stāsti, kurus esat meklējuši, bet šķiet, ka nespējat atrast?

Izstādītie mākslas darbi ir iesniegti šī gada atklātajā konkursā, un to autori ir vietējie mākslinieki un kopienas locekļi. Papildus tiem brīvprātīgo projekta „Pride Begins“ dalībnieki pievienos savus darbus, kā arī dažus arhīva materiālus. Kopā mēs vēlamies brīnīties, pārdomāt, tuvināties un klausīties, kādi stāsti izskalos krastā.

Rīgas Kvēru muzejs 2026. gada izdevums || Programma

📍Izstāde notiek @kanepeskc, Pride House otrajā stāvā. Muzejs ir daļa no @rigapride festivāla!

📆 Izstāde būs atvērta no 3. līdz 12. jūnijam, darba laiks: 16:00–20:00

📆 7. jūnijā muzejs būs slēgts.

📆 Atklāšanas diena ir trešdiena, 3. jūnijs. Šajā dienā durvis atvērsies plkst. 18:00, un plkst. 18:30 notiks īsa atklāšanas ceremonija, kurā tiks godināti un sveikti visi šī gada izstādes dalībnieki, kā arī godināta Queer Museum pagātne, tagadne un nākotne, un mūsu brīnišķīgo queer kopienu vēsture Latvijā un ārpus tās!

______________________________

Queer Museum Riga is currently supported and is a part of the Pride Begins volunteering project organized by Active Rainbow every year since 2023. The project is co-funded with the support of the EU's European Solidarity Corps educational programme, which is administered in Latvia by Jaunatnes Starptautisko programmu aģentūra.

https://kviriem.lv/event/queer-museum-riga-presents-who-tells-your-story-exhibition-or-2026-edition

I've been updating my Etsy page with new and revised listings. Lots of matted 4x6 prints and more. And more to come. Click on over and take a look!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ScottNorrisCreative

#Etsystore #Photography #Wallart #smallbusiness #localartists

THE LOCALIST: APRIL 2026 WRAP-UP

A Horse Named Friday—The Marriage of Loneliness and Continental Bliss

(LP)

Release Date: Apr. 14, 2026

City: Kitchener

Genre: Chamber Folk

The long-awaited debut album from A Horse Named Friday is the product of their gradual evolution over the last two years. The band experiments with a wide variety of instruments such as banjo, mandolin, violin, cello and harmonica, fulfilling a […]

#CutchogueNY - Artist’s and Crafter’s Yard Sale at Old Town Arts & Crafts Guild

May 16 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Old Town Arts & Crafts Guild
28265 Main Road
Cutchogue, NY 11935 United States

"Featuring art supplies, musical equipment, art, books, crafts and all sorts of odds and ends.

There is no admission fee. VENDERS are invited to participate- just $25 per space.

From 9AM-3PM. Raindate is Sunday, May 17th."

https://www.eastendbeacon.com/event/artists-and-crafters-yard-sale-at-old-town-arts-crafts-guild/

#SolarPunkSunday #Artists #Makers #Crafters #BuyLocal #NYEvents #Arts #YardSale #LocalArtists #LocalCrafters #BuildingCommunity

Want to check out amazing, talented local Scottish artists? You gotta check out open studios - see the artists, the art - I can't wait to snoop and see what my neighbours have been working on lol 😂 I think there are at least 6 participating around me this weekend. Gonna be busy in our hamlet.

https://www.openstudiosnorthfife.co.uk/

#scotland
#art
#localartists
#snooping

Slight change of time I'll be at #VIVAS #OpenHouse today. I won't be there until 3pm - staying until 8pm. I need to pickup some extra supplies before going to meet Jada at studio. We're at the main VIVAS building on Blanshard St, on the main floor. Take a left, after entering building & Prickly Pear Studio is on the right, half way down hallway.

https://wearevivas.ca/events

#Art #CommunityEvent #ArtStudios #ArtGalleries #ArtShowcase #LiveMusic #LiveArt #ArtDemos #Artists #VisualArt #POCArtists #YYJArt #YYJEvents #LocalArtists #VancouverIsland #VictoriaBC #FreeEvent #DonationsWelcome #Nonprofit #ArtCollective #ComeVisit

PARENTHOOD AFTER LOSS: ELLIE ANGLIN’S FIRST MEMOIR

On Mar. 14, 2026, local art space and small-scale risograph print shop, Dirty Work Studio, hosted a book launch event for Kitchener artist and writer, Ellie Anglin, for her first book, Reproduction: Death, Birth & the Turkey Baster, published by Publication Studio Guelph.  

The book is a graphic memoir and practical guide that traces Anglin’s pursuit of parenthood in the shadow of profound loss.   

Anglin describes her attempts to conceive a child with her wife, while navigating the fertility industry, which is interrupted by overwhelming grief after losing her parents. The couple’s struggles push them away from institutional practice and toward home insemination, affectionately known as the Turkey Baster Method.  

While the subject matter is heavy, Anglin emphasizes the underlying warmth of the work.  

“Although death and birth are very painful and dark subjects… there’s a lot of joy and humour in it as well,” Anglin said. “All of these things are only so important to us because they’re all about love.”  

Anglin is a multi-media visual artist and writer based in Kitchener. She takes inspiration from feminist and queer art traditions, and her works blend different motifs and elements such as collage, memoir and self-publishing practices that explore identity, magic, pop culture and the collective imagination.  

The publication of her book marks a major milestone for Anglin, who has long been a staple of the local do-it-yourself (DIY) scene.  

“I have been making zines for probably over 20 years now, and I’ve self-published 35 zines,” she said. “So, to have my first official book publication is a big honour.”  

Shalaka Jadhav, Kitchener-based curator, writer, cultural strategist, co-founder of Dirty Work Studio and a long-time collaborator of Anglin’s, noted that independent spaces are crucial for first-time authors who often face significant barriers in the Canadian publishing industry.  

“It can be really intimidating,” Jadhav said. “So, it’s really important to have the space where you can invite family and the general public and allow for people to mix.”  

The book launch was hosted at Dirty Work Studio, which is located at 100 Park St.  

“I’m so, so excited to have a studio like this in downtown Kitchener,” Anglin said. “Such an awesome arts community here, and then this studio is just like the cherry on top with so much celebration of DIY queer and women’s art.”  

The event transformed the studio into an immersive gallery, featuring Anglin’s surrealistic collage work and looping video remixes of the book’s illustrations.  

Jadhav explained that the goal of the night was to help the work burst out of Anglin’s book.  

“We want to be a space where artists can realize all kinds of projects and to sort of experiment,” Jadhav said. “Having a DIY space where things can be a little bit more experimental and loose means that Ellie can try new things and expand her practice.”  

The highlight of the evening was a live performance involving costumes and props, a project Anglin developed over the final weeks of her three-year journey to bring the book to life.  

Anglin said that the visual components from the event were a natural extension of the book’s creation.  

“I kind of took the collage fragments but then reassembled them into different collages to create new meanings,” she said.  

The reach of the project extends far beyond Kitchener due to Publication Studio’s unique open source model. As Jadhav explained, any of the studio’s sister locations worldwide, from Guelph to Brazil, can download, print and bind Anglin’s work locally.  

Ultimately, the launch served as a testament to the resilience of the local creative scene.  

“This is a total labour of love,” Jadhav said, noting that the studio is a self-funded effort by its members. “The more people show up to our events, the more we see it as a show of support that this space should exist.”  

THE LOCALIST: MARCH

Avalon Stone—Meant to Break (EP) 

Release Date: Feb. 27, 2026

City: Kitchener 

Genre: Alternative Rock, Grunge

The six-song debut EP from singer-songwriter, Avalon Stone draws clear inspiration from 1990s alternative and grunge rock but with a polished, modern influence. Produced by Juno Award winner Kevin Dietz (Glorious Sons, Billy Talent), the project features heavy alt-rock anthems that distinctively compliment the gritty vocal performance.

Nothing We Do Matters—Kinematics of Machinery

(EP) 

Release Date: Feb.28, 2026

City: Kitchener 

Genre: Experimental, Noise

The entirety of the band’s biography simply states “emo rhythm noise nonsense” which, while brief, perfectly encapsulates the experimental sound the band has concocted on their debut EP. The three tracks collectively present a challenging listening experience that melds layers of harsh noise, abrasive screams and unsettling electronic soundscapes.

I, the Mountain— Body (LP) 

Release Date: Mar. 6, 2026

City: Kitchener 

Genre: Indie Folk

Four-piece folk rockers I, the Mountain return with an emotional new five-song EP which is comprised of recent single releases, with the most recent and final addition being the title track “Body”. The collection of songs is raw and personal, exploring themes of self-worth and acceptance, while featuring some of the band’s tightest vocal harmonies to date.

Thorns—Closed Casket Burial 

(Singles) 

Release Date: Mar. 13, 2026

City: Waterloo

Genre: Metalcore

Thorns’ newest release consists of two singles, “Closed Casket” and “Burial”. Across both songs, the vocals are impressively dynamic, transitioning from deathly growls to aggressive shouting seamlessly. The band blends these vocals with heavy hardcore inspired breakdowns and intense metallic guitar riffs to create a unique sound.

Eric Folino—Hours for the Taking (EP) 

Release Date: Mar. 13, 2026

City: Waterloo

Genre: Acoustic, Indie Pop

Originally recorded in 2024, this eleven-song project was gradually released as singles and has ultimately culminated in Eric Folino’s debut album. With acoustic guitar and poetic lyricism at the forefront of each song, Folino presents a refreshing take on contemporary indie pop. The track “The World Began This Morning” is an impressively notable highlight from the album.

Album artwork sourced from Bandcamp. 

THE LOCALIST: FEBRUARY 2026 WRAP UP

Softcult—When A Flower Doesn’t Grow  (LP) 

Release Date: Jan. 30, 2026

City: Kitchener 

Genre: Grunge, Shoegaze

After delivering four exciting EPs between 2021 and 2024 and touring extensively during that same time, the sibling duo of Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn have finally released their fantastically hazy debut full-length album. The project explores challenging and sometimes taboo themes such as mental health and misogyny through creatively contemplative and unapologetically honest song writing. 

CHURCH FIGHT— Self-Titled EP (EP)

Release Date: Feb. 13, 2026

City: Cambridge 

Genre: Skate Punk

This brand new five-piece punk rock band comprised of veteran musicians has come hot out of the gate with a high octane three-track debut EP that is guaranteed to incite a brawl. With a blisteringly high tempo consistent across the entire project, the band has put together a collection of aggressively catchy punk songs with intricate melodic guitar riffs as a key focal point. 

Daphne—Jeepers (EP) 

Release Date: Feb. 13, 2026

City: Kitchener 

Genre: Instrumental Pop, R&B

The exciting debut EP release from Daphne is fully instrumental and irresistibly groovy. Blending smooth R&B instrumentation with accessible melodies from popular contemporary music makes for an easy and enjoyable listen. The track list includes four covers: Dua Lipa’s “Levitating”, SZA’s “Snooze”, Justin Bieber’s “SPEED DEMON” and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Tears”.

A Horse Named Friday—Dana & Evelyn (Demo)

Release Date: Feb. 21, 2026

City: Kitchener

Genre: Chamber Folk

Eight raw and emotional live recordings preceded by six carefully delicate studio versions make up the collection of songs on A Horse Named Friday’s latest demo project. This listening experience breathes a sense of fresh perspective into the songs with the addition of the band’s stage banter and audience noise helping the listener to truly connect with the intimacy of the performances. 

KROKA— Have You Lost Your Mind? (Single) 

Release Date: Feb. 26, 2025

City: Kitchener

Genre: Desert Rock

Kroka is a three-piece rock band with a sound that is significantly heavier than expected based on their limited roster size. Their newest single features slow, heavy and fuzz-laden guitars as well as a gritty yet soulful performance from lead vocalist Richard Fenna. The song explores the idea of indulging in our distractions as an act of avoidance and the inevitability that we all must eventually address our problems.

Album artwork sourced from Bandcamp.