Our Team
Richmond, Virginia
I grew up the product of hard-working German stock working the wheat fields of Kansas and married young, which I don’t recommend. I gutted the marriage out for thirty years because that’s what you’re supposed to do, but the drinking finally became too much. I got three beautiful children from it, though I’ll have guilt for the rest of my life for what I let us go through. We’ve come out on the other side, scarred and broken…one of them didn’t survive the journey.
But mine is a story of second chances: I’ve found healing, love, and a new passion — working with LGBTQ+ youth. I want them to see that they’re special and strong and beautiful, and that they’re very, very loved. I want to share some of my life’s lessons and hopefully help them avoid some of the painful ones.
My community saved me when things were so dark that I couldn’t see and has kept me joyful when there was plenty of pain. We all need community…that’s what I hope to build with The Q Art Hour.
Richmond, Virginia
Charley Burton is a native of Charlottesville. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Transforming-Futures, a group focused on providing resources, support, and empowerment for Black, Brown, and other transgender community members, with a strong emphasis on mental, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing. He is also author of the book Boy Beneath My Skin: Black Transman Living in the South. He is currently working on two cookbooks along with his 2nd book, a follow up to his first, 55 Minutes on the Sofa: Stories to My Therapist.
Richmond, VA
Gregg Carbo is a professional artist in Richmond, Virginia. A fine arts graduate of and later art professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, Gregg has had exhibitions at 1708 Gallery, Page Bond Gallery, and the Reynolds Gallery among others.
Richmond, Virginia
Michael A. Pierce, also known as the “rabbit guy,” is a professional artist, educator, and curator based in Richmond, Virginia. A fine arts graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, he serves on the studio arts faculty at Brightpoint Community College. Michael has exhibited his own work and curated exhibitions nationally and internationally across the U.S. and Europe. Locally, his work has been featured at Quirk Gallery and key non-profit spaces, including 1708 Gallery (where he is an emeritus member), the Iridian Gallery at Diversity Richmond (as Founding Chair), and Artspace (as Vice President of Membership).
More stories coming soon.
As The Q Art Hour grows, so does the team of people who believe in this work. Check back as we add mentors, instructors, and collaborators to this page.