A new exhibit at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center is showcasing the paintings of a refugee and an asylum seeker in the LGBTQ community. The exhibit is part of a fundraiser organized by Vital Partnerships, which aims to celebrate and support Pride throughout the year. The exhibit is located in a newly converted gallery at the museum called The Living Room, which features artwork by local community members on a monthly basis in a more informal setting. The first display features paintings by artists involved with Pride Without Borders, a group that supports artists who have sought asylum due to persecution based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. The upcoming fundraiser aims to highlight the work of these artists and bring awareness to the Ethiopian Community Development Council and Community Asylum Seekers Project, both of which operate locally. The event is supported by a grant secured by Vital Partnerships from the United Way of Windham County, and will feature artists and representatives from the LGBTQ community speaking about their work and the challenges faced by asylum seekers and refugees. The event aims to create spaces of support and awareness for refugees and asylum seekers, and to show that they have a community they can count on. The organizer, Adriana Negron, who relocated from Puerto Rico, believes that Brattleboro is a welcoming place for her family and is the right place to host the event.

Source: https://www.reformer.com/local-news/pride-without-borders-refugee-asylum-seeker-share-artwork-for-fundraiser/article_2a0fd2d8-71af-11ee-93bd-4f1ec004972a.html