“We do not blame the rose for its thorns.” — Alice Khavari
Pride doesn’t end when June does, and neither does LGBTQ+ creativity. That was the message behind Outside of June, a student-curated art exhibition bringing together queer artists and community members through painting, poetry, ceramics, textiles, mixed media and live music.
The exhibition was held October 15, from 4 to 7 p.m., at LBCC’s South Santiam Hall Art Gallery.
Curated by Alice Khavari and Matthew O’Connor, the exhibition was more than an opportunity to display art. It created a space for people to share their experiences, celebrate their identities and connect with one another.
“This is a space to uplift those who are on the margins of society,” one curator explained.
The range of artwork reflected just how personal and diverse those experiences can be.
“I’m really, really impressed with how intermedia and interdisciplinary it is, and it’s great to see so many people,” one community member shared.
Among the featured artists was LBCC student Nic Kinner, whose ceramic piece Limbo Unlimited explores the experience of existing between identities and different versions of yourself. Inspired by personal memories and the loss of a beloved cat, the piece incorporates imagery representing healing, transformation and finding comfort in nature.
Artist Daisy Z. Gomez reflected on her experiences growing up bisexual and struggling to form female friendships because of assumptions about her sexuality. Her work explores self-acceptance, confidence and finding meaningful connections.
For others, nature was central to their creative expression and understanding of identity.
“Queerness feels like another branch of my tree, it sways in the wind, but is steady in its strength,” shared the artist Willow Magick
Tzelev “TZ” Diamondstone also explored this connection through The Importance of Plant Wisdom, a collection of paintings examining the relationship between plants and personal and collective healing.
Beyond the artwork, the exhibition brought people together through conversations, shared experiences and live music. One attendee described it as “just such an amazing kind of community experience,” while another praised the musical performances, saying, “The Harp is extraordinary.
Community members also recognized the dedication of student curators Khavari and O’Connor. In the exhibition acknowledgement, mentors Andrew Douglas Campbell and Ann Magratten commended their months of preparation, teamwork and attention to detail in putting the show together.
The exhibitions program opens with a quote from Khavari:
“We do not blame the rose for its thorns.”
It was a fitting reflection of the exhibition itself, where deeply personal experiences, both joyful and difficult, could exist alongside one another.
Outside of June was a reminder that art isn’t just something we create or observe. It can also be a way of understanding ourselves, finding connection and making room for others to be seen.
_____________________
About the show’s range and turnout — “I’m really, really impressed with how intermedia and interdisciplinary it is, and it’s great to see so many people.”
About the curators and the community experience —
“The curators did such a fantastic job putting everything on.”
“It was just such an amazing kind of community experience.”
About the art and live music —
“Very beautiful. The harp is extraordinary.”
About the student curators’ work —
“How much amazing work the student curators did on it… it’s entirely by the decision making, the design, the planning, the networking of Alice and Matthew.”
Nick — personal experience and the work:
“I grew up not having words and not knowing it was an option.”
Daisy Z. Gomez — finding friendship and community:
“I had a hard time making friends when I was younger, especially because they would think I had a crush on them because I told them I was bisexual when I was 11 years old.”
Tzelev (“TZ”) Diamondstone artist:
“The natural world is our like mezuzah, our threshold to be able to connect with what we really want to.”
Willow Magic — queerness and nature:
“Queerness feels like another branch of my tree, it sways in the wind, but is steady in its strength.”
Willow Magic — creativity:
“My relationship with art is a conversation, a balance between give and take, rise and fall.”
Curator — the purpose of the event:
“This is a space to uplift those who are on the margins of society.”
Outside of June — Artist Descriptions
Exhibition Acknowledgment
Outside of June was lovingly curated by Alice Khavari and Matthew O’Connor. It was through their hard work, careful deliberation, and wide reaching scope that such a magnificent exhibition exists. Motivated to curate for an in-community audience as opposed to an assumed mainstream audience, Alice and Matthew have created an impromptu home for LGBTQ+ art; their show deftly allows the community to broadly define our own terms and at the same time shares preciously intimate insight and singular moments of beauty. True to our elders, heroines, and heroes this show is political because it is so personal. We have seen Alice and Matthew give over months of hard work and late nights of tender care to bring this project to life, and it has been a shining honor to act as mentors and aides to this brilliant team.
– Andrew Douglas Campbell & Anne Magratte
Artist Descriptions
Artist: Cesar Ramirez Pronouns: he/him
Cesar Ramirez is an artist based in Albany, Oregon. He uses acrylic paint on canvas to create thought-provoking imagery about human experiences. Cesar uses his own experiences of fighting for his identity in most of his work. Although there is typically a heavy theme in his paintings, they will rarely be absent of vibrant colors. He will always find a way to bring whimsy and beauty to his work.
- Social media: @goldendirtdesign
Artist: Daisy Z. Gomez Pronouns: she/her
My name is Daisy Z. Gomez, I am a Mexican-American artist who specializes in acrylic, charcoal, and mixed media. As a queer woman, I have struggled with female friendships, with the fear of being told, “I hope you don’t have a crush on me” by friends. Finally growing confidence in my self-image and sexuality, I have improved all relationships in life. Love yourself, and loving people will come to you.
- Social media: @daisyzgomez
Artist: Dean Gerard Pronouns: they/them
Dean Gerard is a non binary artist who loves to make colorful art. They also like to create mixed media art. Some of their favorite mediums are acrylic paint, oil pastels, crayons, and colored pencils! Recently Dean has really enjoyed exploring mythical creatures in their art. They like how these creatures transcend boundaries: a lot like queer people do daily.
Artist: Dharma Delahanty Pronouns: she/her (partially obscured)
Dharma Delahanty is an artist originally from Chicago who dreamt of Oregon. She has been creating art in many mediums throughout her life. She started writing poetry the first time she felt love come and leave, and continued on to slam it competitively in high school.
Nowadays, she writes to understand our world’s magic. Dharma gravitates towards poetry about love and pleasure; two of the greatest joys of her life and some of the most powerful magic out there.
Artist: DK Pronouns: they/them
“Do we want Gay Power or Pig Power?
If you want Gay Power then you’re going to have to fight for it… and fight until you win!”
— Sylvia Rivera
- Social media: @dkdr.awz
Artist: ET Wichelmann Pronouns: he/they
ET Wichelmann is a writer and poet who until now has only written for close friends and loved ones. Their goal is to be featured in poetry anthologies or to make a collection of their own work to publish eventually.
They are an intersex trans individual and a Druid in the bardic grade, and nature has been their muse and companion throughout their life. He focuses his work on the fluidity and unapologetic absurdity of the natural world, and how that world reflects in trans bodies and queer experiences.
His study of horticulture at Oregon State has informed his work at a profound level, and he seeks to unite the scientific and the spiritual in his writings.
You can find more of their work on their Substack at @ethurs57
Artist: Helen Rounsavell Pronouns: they/them
Creativity has always been something Helen Rounsavell holds dear, and though they have only recently begun their journey into drawing and painting, typically in acrylic, they have rapidly come to love it. Helen is most drawn to depicting wildlife-centered scenes. They desperately want to capture that feeling of awe that nature evokes in them. They find it so easy to get caught up in the pressure and stress of the fast-paced world we live in and forget to appreciate the incredible biodiversity that surrounds us.
So, through Helen’s pieces, they invite you to sit with them, pause for just a moment, and breathe in the beauty and wonder of our natural world.
Artist: James Lovell Pronouns: they/them
James Lovell is a Non-Binary painter and drawing artist whose work portrays many different subjects with a current focus on marine life. They enjoy mixing elements of realism and abstraction to create surreal compositions. They’re currently working on a series of paintings depicting various crustaceans in space.
Artist: Jay Enghauser Pronouns: they/them (partially visible)
Jay Enghauser owns Grass Roots Books in downtown Corvallis with their spouse. They graduated from Linn-Benton Community College, Oregon State University, and the University of Denver with a handful of writing and publishing degrees.
Their poetry, fiction, short stories, and creative nonfiction has been published by Maudlin House, JaketheMag, Grande Dame Literary Magazine, and more.
Artist: Juan Ortiz Cortez Pronouns: he/him
Juan Ortiz Cortez was born in Mexico and moved here about 14 years ago. His art reflects his culture’s rich colors and traditions, and is a way for him to feel closer to Mexico. Art is a way for Juan to express his feelings and the whole mess going on around us at the moment.
Las Guacamayas/ The Macaws represents a homosexual relationship hiding from society by having macaws heads. The left macaw has a gold tattoo representing how strong the relationship is. The right macaw has a black tattoo, not quite finished, which represents that no matter how strong the relationship is, love is not forever.
Artist: Lia Schmeck Pronouns: she/her
- Featured Artwork — BuzzFeed Glow
BuzzFeed Glow is a self portrait that depicts the feelings I had as a teen coming to terms with my sexuality.
The experimental process for this piece lends itself to the meaning.
This painting was constructed by painting the portrait, removing it from the frame, and sewing and gluing it onto the second canvas. The “test color” screen was a way to communicate what it felt like spending hours scrolling through online quizzes and forums to piece things together for myself- testing different ideas to try and label my experience.
Artist: Mar Lawley Pronouns: he/she/they
Mar Lawley is a former LBCC and current OSU student pursuing a bachelors degree in Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies. His main mediums include textile arts and zines- homemade publications mixing written work, such as essays and poetry, with visual art. Heavily influenced by DIY punk culture and ethics, Mar’s work explores themes of queerness, family, power, history, and horror. They have been releasing zines since the age of 15, tabling at events such as Albany Pride. They are pleased to be joining their friends and community in this art show!
Artist: Marshall Belgrim Frej Pronouns: they/it
This piece was made as a gift to my beautiful fiancee to commemorate how we have both come to find, accept, and love our identities and each other proudly.
Artist: Matthew O’Connor Pronouns: he/him
Matthew O’Connor is an artist, photographer, student, and proud trans man born and raised in the Hudson Valley of New York. Art is Matt’s first language and integral to his experience as a human being and his understanding of the world around him.
Heart on Fire depicts the vulnerable opening of the heart even, and despite, the inevitable pains of being in relationship–with each other, with the world, with yourself. To love again, and again, is to truly live.
- Social media: @forrestgreenarts
Artist: MeiChi Neilson Pronouns: she/her
MeiChi Neilson is a dyke artist studying creative writing and journalism at Oregon State University. She likes comic books, punk rock and little critters. Her cartoons aim to reflect the absurdity and delights of everyday life. Neilson spent all summer catching salamanders and now her knees hurt. She hopes to publish a comic book of her own one day.
Social media: @fleebo1992
Artist: Nic Kinner (NIC NAK) Pronouns: they/he
Nic Kinner is a practicing multidisciplinary artist, working primarily with ceramics. They volunteer at Linn-Benton’s ceramics studio as an Instructor Assistant and have trained as a Glaze Apprentice for a year. Many of their pieces find a balance between inspiration from nature and precision. In 2025, Nic received an award for “Best in Ceramics” at Linn-Benton’s Juried Art Show. They are currently a dual degree and degree partnership student at Oregon State University and Linn Benton Community College. They are pursuing a Studio Art BFA and a Woodscience B.S., with a focus in Art & Design.
- Featured Artwork — Limbo Unlimited
“Limbo Unlimited” is a ceramic piece inspired by my past. The idea for the title came from a road sign I stumbled across on the Oregon coast with a friend. It reflects my experience of feeling caught in between: between identities, genders, and versions of myself. I have spent a lot of time navigating the feeling of existing somewhere between what I was expected to be and who I am becoming.
The piece is also inspired by my childhood cat, who was with me through some of the most difficult parts of growing up, including my struggles with mental health. Losing her earlier this summer brought many of those memories back, and creating this piece became a way for me to process her loss. Her paw prints throughout the piece reference the comfort she gave me.
The piece is intentionally busy, reflecting the way my thoughts tend to feel. Lightning and moths represent scars, healing, and change, while the waves at the base connect the piece back to the Oregon coast, a place I have always gone for refuge.
- Social media: @nic.nak_art
Artist: Orange Miller-Spillman Pronouns: they/them
Orange Miller-Spillman is 24 years old, from Kentucky, and graduating LBCC in 2026 to go on to fashion design school.
Artist: Rowan Eckhart Pronouns: they/he
Rowan Eckhart is a fiber arts student pursuing their BFA at University of Oregon. They have discovered weaving within the last year and are especially drawn to the techniques Echo and Iris as well as Overshot. Rowan’s work explores themes of identity, gender, and personhood through abstraction, optical illusions, and pattern repetition. Outside of weaving, they are also interested in quilting, garment construction, and costuming. Rowan will be graduating this spring and hopes to one day pursue a Masters program.
Artist: Sage Morrison Pronouns: they/them
Sage Morrison is an herbalist and artist grown in the Willamette valley. Their motivations for creation are all about feeling – to communicate a dream, to share a human experience.
“the gift” was itself a gift for the artist’s lover – in fact a curator of this exhibit, one mr. o’connor – as an expression of the unseeable threads that connect their hearts, as a recognition of the gift of love, and a promise of mending what had been torn. this piece is a devotion.
- Social media: @s.t.u.d.i.o.s.a.g.e
Artist: Skye Pell Pronouns: they/he
Skye Pell likes to draw and paint with pens, watercolor and acrylics. Sometimes they make collages, sculptures, zines, poems, and linocut prints too. His work is intimate and deals with themes related to mental health, childhood, the climate crisis, queerness, and reconciling unchangeable pasts with hopes for a better future. He is from Santa Cruz, CA, has lived in the Willamette Valley since 2022 and hopes to one day move to The City after finishing their Masters in Public Policy at OSU.
- Social media: @whore.mo.anal
Artist: Theo Pye Pronouns: he/him
Theo Pye is a 19 year old Corvallis based digital artist whose work explores complex themes of trans identities, more specifically how trans men are viewed in society. Theo is currently majoring in Electrical Engineering and planning to graduate from OSU with LB’s DPP in 2030.
Artist: ’Tliahi Golemo Pronouns: they/them
Artist: Tzelev (“TZ”) Diamondstone Pronouns: they/them
Having grown up in the Gorge, Tzelev (“TZ”) Diamondstone cares deeply for our beautiful home! With a degree in Ethnobotany and Indigenous Studies from OSU, they have a passion for community healing & fostering relationships to land!
In recent years, TZ has spent time tending to the ancestors and anchoring in their own Ashkenazi heritage; which has yielded the grounds to connect deeply with a diversity of lineages including Japanese and Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese Medicine and Martial Arts, Polynesian Dance, Jewish Mysticism, and Hellenic Astrology.
As they prepare themself for Acupuncture School, TZ is keen to begin intentionally sharing their growing gifts of music, compassion and guidance with all.
- Featured Artwork —:The Importance of Plant Wisdom: An Ethnobotanical Exploration of Personal and Collective Healing is a collection of paintings exploring the medicine of plant-human relations. Completed in 2024, each image is an 8×10″ acrylic painting on canvas.
- Social media: @tzelev_diamondstone Website: tzelevdiamondstone.com
Artist: Willow Magick Pronouns: fae/faer
The art I create changes with my seasons; it fills the gap of something missing or absorbs what is overflowing in my life. My hands may run slow and achy, or my brain may feel stagnant; this tells me to greet my creativity where it’s at. My relationship with art is a conversation, I cannot take all the time, I must give things back. Creativity needs enrichment, which often means being surrounded by places that are green and full of life. Nature is inseparable from my identity as an artist; I have a naturalist’s point of view, and this shapes my vision for art.
For me, gender and sexual identity have often felt like they are better understood without the context of a busy and overstimulating life. Understanding myself feels so easy when I am in wild spaces, when I am surrounded by whimsical things and oddities. Queerness feels like another branch of my tree; it sways in the wind; it cannot be defined to just one facet. My self-expression relates to the world around me, like the fragile ebb and flow of a forest ecosystem.
