New Central Library Exhibit Celebrates the Artwork of Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Artists
release date: October 10, 2025
Curated by The Seattle Public Library’s artist in residence Vaquero Azul, “Nuestra Euforia / Our Euphoria” opens Saturday, October 18 at the Central Library’s Level 8 gallery.
The exhibit showcases artwork by local trans and gender non-conforming artists and photographs of local cultural bearers and icons. A Trans Pride Ofrenda honoring trans, Two-Spirit, and gender-expansive relatives will also be on display.
The exhibit, presented in English and Spanish, will open with a reception on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. It will close on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026.
“This show is a love letter to our transcestors and queer ancestors who have been here since time immemorial,” wrote Azul in the introduction to the exhibit. “Our collective euphoria is a sacred offering to every single one of us, in the past and in the now.”
Azul is an Otomí, Maya and Boriken-Taíno, Two-Spirit illustrator and sewist. The exhibit showcases Mesoamerican folklórico garments sewed by Azul during their Library residency for Danza Monarcas, a local LGBTQ2IA+ folklórico group. Photographs of Danza Monarcas members performing in Azul’s garments will also be displayed.
“I wanted to create garments that are filled with love, pride, and the beauty of us thriving as Mesoamerican Queer people,” said Azul.
Other artists showing works in the exhibit are Iy Cardona (he/him), whose artwork is a visual testament to finding peace and joy in living authentically; Gael Luna (they/he), a trans queer immigrant artist and community organizer; Ocelotl Mora (el/he/him), a social practice artist whose projects weave together storytelling, somatics, ritual, and community; Damien (he/him), a Mexican artist/photographer who works in mixed media; Christian (he/they), a Two-Spirit artisan from the Raramuri and Piipaash peoples; Lily and Gee Demko, Chicanx glass artists; and Raul Garcia, a Chicano artist who paints calaveras (skulls) on glass bottles.
Gallery tour: On Sunday, Dec. 14, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Vaquero Azul will lead a gallery tour at the Central Library’s Level 8 gallery. Check back for more information at www.spl.org/calendar.
This exhibit is generously supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation.
About the Trans Pride Ofrenda
The Trans Pride Ofrenda is an altar that honors missing and murdered trans and Two-Spirit, gender expansive relatives, and invites visitors to learn about these losses and honor and protect these communities. Every year on November 20, trans people worldwide gather for the Transgender Day of Remembrance to remember those lost to hate crimes in the past year.
About Vaquero Azul
Vaquero Azul (He/They - El/Elle) is a Otomí, Maya and Taíno, Two-Spirit illustrator and sewist. Their work focuses on Trans Euforia and Mexican and Mesoamerican Indigenous joy. He believes in a world where Trans, Two-Spirit, Dos Espíritus people are celebrated, loved, and left feeling proud of who they are and expresses it in their body of art. Vaquero Azul was a Library artist in residence from 2024 to 2025.