Honoring Queer Ancestry with a PCF Arts Grant

Two individuals - a Black woman and a white woman - stand arm in arm smiling and facing the camera. Behind them is a portrait of the Black woman. Artist Kate Muehlemann Cataldo (in blue) stands with Annetta, a “queer elder” interviewed and painted for Kate’s Artist Residency with Side Street Projects. They are pictured at Altadena Pride on June 6, 2024, where Kate’s exhibition debuted.

Kate Muehlemann Cataldo is an artist with a unique ability to bridge her longtime work in health and hospice care with intimate portraiture. She is one of two artists who were selected for Side Street Projects’ 2023-24 Artist Residencies. Pasadena Community Foundation funded each Residency through an Arts & Culture Grant to Side Street Projects in the summer of 2023.

A nurse for 20 years, Kate is also the founder of Constellations of Care, which provides end-of-life support and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community and creates space and tools for intentional dialogue about aging, death, and dying. The culmination of Kate’s Artist Residency with Side Street Projects leverages this professional background.  “The Constellations Project” features portraits of queer elders, audio recordings of their life stories as told to Kate, and youth artwork inspired by the elders’ stories. By spotlighting LGBTQ+ legacies, Kate’s residency weaves understanding across generations through art and storytelling.

Forging New Blueprints for Community Care

Kate’s idea for “The Constellations Project” emerged from her realization that many queer people have not had role models nor a blueprint of what life might look like as an aging adult. “In my nursing practice, I saw that there was a significant discrepancy in how people, especially those who are marginalized, show up when they’re in need of care with the reality of the for-profit health care system.”

Notably, she recognized that older queer adults often face additional and unique challenges in health care due to discrimination, barriers to access, and health disparities. They are also more likely to live alone, having had no children or perhaps being estranged from their families of origin. In short, many queer elders age in isolation. “The Constellations Project” became a way of honoring non-biologic family stories as a form of queer ancestry and to serve as a point of connection with the wider community.

Three elders – Annetta, Eddie, and Carolina – met with Kate over the course of six weeks, discussing specific topics each week, including life accomplishments, loved ones, and regrets and forgiveness. This process was modeled after Kate’s work with her hospice patients – these topics are ones that people have expressed were important for them to address at the end of their lives. Kate then painted their portraits; the finished artworks are beautifully animated by each elder’s dignity, personality, and multilayered history.

Teens who identify as LGBTQ+ were invited to listen to audio clips recorded during Kate’s conversations and then create artwork that reflected their thoughts and feelings. Kate facilitated these discussions, noting that was a wonderful way to connect with the teens. Kate’s senses that encouraging younger generations in the LGBTQ+ community to become invested in elders’ histories might be one way of building better infrastructure and meaningful support for those experiencing aging and dying.

Listen to the stories of Annetta, Carolina, and Eddie.

Kate feels immense gratitude to Side Street Projects. “They are an incredible team of caring people who offer such incredible support for the arts and artists working in the community.  I’m so grateful to be in collaboration with them on this project.”

PHOTOS

Artist statement
Artist statement

Portrait of Eddie
Portrait of Eddie

Kate interviews Eddie
Kate interviews Eddie

Kate interviews Annetta
Kate interviews Annetta

Portrait of Annetta
Portrait of Annetta

Portrait of Carolina
Portrait of Carolina