For six years, Katie served as the Program Manager and Curator of the Cultural Arts Department at the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
“My curatorial approach comes from a unique perspective. Though I studied International Relations and Sociology, my career has taken me into clubs, festivals and galleries as a curator, designer and event producer. For almost seven years, I was the curator of The Advocate & Gochis Galleries at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, a unique space that was also a public space where our senior clients had lunch, youth clients dance classes and trans* groups had their meetings. There I created programming for diverse communities with a focus on intersectionality and immersive and experiential exhibition design. Many of the programs I developed are now annual projects that have become a critical thread in the cultural fabric of Los Angeles.”
Chronological list of exhibitions curated by Katie Poltz for the Advocate & Gochis Galleries at the Los Angeles LGBT Center:
2011
CONSCIOUSNESS: Ancestral! Abstract! Audacious!
A collaboration with The Black LGBT Project, C. Jerome Woods, founder
Artists: David Payne, Duane Paul, Katrice Jackson, Ronald Jackson, Janet Nicholson, Greg McNeal, Shaunté Johnson, Byrd Bettis
APOCALYPSE: Keith Haring
First showing of the complete Apocalypse series by the late Keith Haring, donated to the Center by Tyler Cassity
RAW Sophistication 2011
Paintings by Joan Scheibel and Rose Masterpol
13TH ANNUAL SENIOR-YOUTH PHOTO PROJECT
FAIR: Art of Action
Shepard Fairey’s “Love Unites” posters, personalized by luminaries in politics, music, acting. Exhibit of CountMeOut social media campaign
BLACK & WHITE & RED ALL OVER: Photographs by Michael Becker
EXTERIORS: Images of the Out Side
Photography by Natalie Franco, John Hoffman, Daniela KampTaylor and Andrew Putschoegl
W0RK IN PROGRESS: A Journey Through the Creative Process
Innovative exhibit in conjunction with Learning Curve’s Artists’ Challenge classes
40 YEARS OF FAMILY: A Historical Retrospective of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
Celebrating our 40th year of service. Exhibit included Center timeline and historical materials, as well as a separate space for the Center’s 30 years of serving people living with HIV/AIDS. Research conducted at ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives
Nov 11-Jan 20
2012
I SEE YOU, I AM HERE
Celebrating Black History Month. Collaboration with The Black LGBT Project, C. Jerome Woods, founder. A group show of five contemporary African American artists: Ronald Jackson, Luckyvirgo Photography, Dale Guy Madison, Duane Paul, Cheryl Williams. Plus display of original jewelry by famed disco singer Sylvester
February 16-March 29
TIMELESS: Photography by Mary Grace McKernan
Landscape and wildlife photography from Namibia and Tanzania
April 5 – June 1
GESTALT: Paintings by Andrew Macasil & Sculpture by Kellan Shanahan
Two graduating Fine Arts students from Chapman University, co-curated by Lia Halloran June 7 – July 6
IN THE MAKING: Dreamers in Transition
A collaboration between artist Francisco Cabas and participants in the Center’s transitional living program
July 12 – Aug 18
14TH ANNUAL SENIOR-YOUTH PHOTO PROJECT
Aug 23-Sept 21
MARIPOSAS PRESENTE
An exhibit of prints by queer Latino/a artists. Collaboration with Self Help Graphics
Sept 27-Nov 3
THINK AGAIN: Collected Public Projects—Art by David John Attyah and S.A. Bachman
Public political artworks
Nov 15-Dec 15
PACKED IN A TRUNK: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson
A collaboration with Jane Anderson. World premiere exhibit
Dec 20, 2012-Jan 19, 2013
2013
WORKS IN PROGRESS II: Drawings from Learning Curve’s Life Drawing Class
An exhibit which included sketching opportunities for the attendees with live model
Jan 22-Feb 21
S.H.E.: Art of S.A. Bachman, Mary Grace McKernan, Joan Scheibel
Celebrating International Women’s Day
Mar 7-April 21
ID: Art of Andrew Overtoom
Portraits of gender non-conforming individuals by cinematographer known for his work on SpongeBob Squarepants
April 25-June 1
WE ARE TONGZHI
Art by Chinese and American homeless youth, plus photos from the 1st Chinese AIDS Walk on the Great Wall. (Tongzhi is Mandarin for “comrade” or “same,” but it’s also the colloquial way of saying “queer”)
June 6-July 5
ELECTRIC SUMMER: Art of Nona Hendryx and Gina Raphaela
Prints, paintings, and photos
July 11-Aug 17
SHOOTING RAW: Learning Curve Photography
An exhibit of the work created by students in Learning Curve’s photography workshops
Aug 22-Sept 21
IDENTITY / RETROSPECT: Photography by Alexandra Gibson
Former homeless youth and Senior-Youth Photo Project participant, now professional artist in her first retrospective
Sept 26-Nov 2
VILLAGE PEOPLE – 15th Annual Senior-Youth Photo Project
Nov 7-Dec 14
APPEAL: Beauty, Race, Intimacy – Art of Mira Gandy
Dec 19, 2013-Jan 18, 2014
2014
HARD: Politics, Religion and Personal Preference
Art From the CCH POUNDER Collection
Jan 30-March 1
GENERATIONS: The Art of Marlaya Charleston and Veronica Mohler
Collaboration between Center Senior client and Center homeless Youth client
March 5-April 5
PRIMARY SOURCE: Artifacts of Contemporary Queer Latin@ Performance Art
An exhibit of queer Latino art, focusing on materials used by performance artists. Part of the first Latin@ Queer Arts and Film Festival (LQAFF), co-curated by Oscar Miguel Santos
April 10-May 3
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER T
Exhibit for Trans Pride 2014, featuring four trans artists and a special exhibit of photographs by Leon Mostovoy, produced in collaboration with homeless trans* youth clients
June 5-July 12
WORK IN PROGRESS
The first of two collaborations between Learning Curve’s Life Drawing workshop and the John Burton Harter Charitable Trust, representing the late J.B. Harter, and openly gay artist who specialized in life drawing
July 16-Aug 23
DISRUPT
The art of Ivy Bottini and Lisa Santasiero. Our first mother-daughter group show
Aug 28-Sept 20
BI: LIFE ON THE SPECTRUM
Group show in conjunction with the AmBi, an LA bisexual organization
Sept 23-Oct 4
IN YOUR DREAMS: Art by Martin Matamoros
Halloween-themed exhibit featuring monumental paintings
Oct 9-Nov 8
INTERSECTIONS: 16th Annual Senior-Youth Photo Project
Nov 13-Jan 3
2015
THE CLOSET DOOR: Art by David John Attyah and Danny Caballero
Paintings and installations exploring childhood abuse and sexuality, from a professor and student of Glendale Community College
Jan 9-Feb 7
CHAIRED: The Personal Seating Choices of CCH Pounder
Feb 12-March 21
MICHAEL BECKER
March 26-April 11
2nd Annual LQAFF (Latino@ Queer Arts & Film Festival)
April 16-May 2
THE MODEL’S ARTIST: Portraits by Zhenya Gershman
Exhibit exploring the artist and model relationship
May 8-June 13
WE CAN BE HEROES: Trans Pride Exhibit
Public mural project featuring homeless trans* youth artists
June 18-July 18
WORK IN PROGRESS
Second life drawing exhibit funded by the J.B. Harter Charitable Trust
July 23-Aug 29
FOUNDATION:LA & (W)HOLE
Historical exhibition exploring early LGBT uprisings in Los Angeles, prior to Stonewall. Produced in collaboration with the first cohort of Summer Youth Interns from our homeless youth programs. Research at ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives
Sept 4 – Oct 24
17TH ANNUAL SENIOR-YOUTH PHOTO PROJECT
Oct 29-Dec 5
DANIEL RIBERA: #FASHIONART
Dec 10, 2015-Feb 12, 2016
2016
20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE IN LA
Feb 18-April 2
DRAG ANGELES: A Celebration of Los Angeles and West Hollywood drag creativity, history, and art
Mar 5 – June 30 West Hollywood Library
CINEARTE
3rd Annual Latin@ Queer Art & Film Festival
April 7-May 21
TRANSPRIDE EXHIBITS
o WE CAN BE HEROES
o ROYALTY: ART OF SAGE GALLON
o TRANS GIRL NEXT DOOR: CARTOONS BY KYLIE WU
June 17-July 23
PHOTO L.A. – ROUND HOLE, SQUARE PEG
LGBT Photography, collaboration with Artist’s Corner Gallery
July 29-Nov 11
18TH ANNUAL SENIOR-YOUTH PHOTO PROJECT
Nov 17 – Feb 10