Why a ‘queer’ art club?

I picked the word ‘queer’ for two reasons! One definition is the reclamation of a slur used for those in the LGBTQIA+ community. There isn’t a lot in Mason County for folks who need a space for such a community. It was only this year in 2026, that Shelton hosted its first major Pride event.

The second definition; ‘differing in some way from what is usual or normal : odd, strange, weird’ is also hidden in Mason County. Our community is great about supporting art, but often it has a lot to do with the landscape around us which for some of us who draw the weird and wacky, even macabre, can be a bit isolating.

So why start a club?

I’ve been an artist in Shelton my entire life and often felt disconnected from the small town community. My art is weird. I am weird. My hair is purple. I listen to metal music. After years of waiting to see if anyone else would do something in Shelton, I decided, well, if no one else will. I guess I will. Thankfully the timing was right because now I have Marmo owner Iza, and Grafitti Art Center owner, Nicole, in my corner to help me make this real.

-Neva, QuAC Founder

Shelton’s Queer Art Club is meant both as a learning space as well as a community building endeavor, organizing both social hours and art classes at the nearby Grafitti Art Center!