Meet the Team
Queer Art SWMI is a collaborative group of artists dedicated to celebrating and promoting LGBTQ+ creativity within the Southwest Michigan community. Our first event is the Queer Art '26 show, to be held at the Box Factory for the Arts in Summer 2026.
Vicki Cook
Queer Art '26 Juror
Vicki Cook is a southwest Michigan metalsmith, artist, and small metals/jewelry educator at Krasl Art Center, St Joseph Michigan. Cook received a BFA emphasis in metals and jewelry from Western Michigan University. In her current body of work Cook uses small-scale sculptural metalwork to express her view on life, her experiences, and our relationships with each other. She is interested in how people relate to each other and what prevents us from communicating and connecting in a meaningful way.
Jessica Hightower
Queer Art '26 Juror
Jessica Hightower is a painter working in Southwest Michigan. Her art has appeared in multiple solo and group shows throughout the region. Using color, facial expressions and hand gestures to convey emotion in her paintings, Jessica really wants the audience to connect with her paintings. Visit Jhightowerart.com to learn more about Jessica and her work.
Carr Pierce
Queer Art SWMI Gallerist
Carr Pierce is an artist whose abstract paintings, collages, and constructions incorporate grids, expressive color, mark making, as well as fabric and objects. Her work explores a space between image and object and is influenced by landscape and popular culture. Pierce has exhibited her artwork in New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, and other locations. Pierce earned a BFA from Northern Illinois University, and an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She currently resides in St. Joseph, Michigan and you can view more of her work on Instagram.
Linda Schmidt
Queer Art SWMI Admin
Linda Schmidt is a mosaic artist working in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Unfortunately, her formal education had absolutely nothing to do with art, but she has been an avid student at the Chicago Mosaic School since 2022. Her work has been shown in galleries in Chicago and Southwest Michigan, and she currently sits on the board of the Box Factory for the Arts. You can view more of her work on Instagram.
Dawn Todd
Queer Art '26 Juror
Dawn Violet Todd is a human. They advocate for curiosity and compassion as tools to redirect the world's chaos. Dawn has spent 24 years of life wearing many different hats, sweaters, and walking miles in several shoes. They are currently a writer and producer of their own works online, and they practice art in both metal and photography. Right now, they spend their working time at Krasl Art Center as Guest Services Coordinator.
