The Constellations Project, an intergenerational LGBTQ+ art and storytelling initiative, will host its exhibition opening on Saturday, June 28, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Red Hen Press in Pasadena. The exhibition showcases audio-recorded oral histories and painted portraits of eight LGBTQ+ elders, alongside more than 40 artworks created by LGBTQ+ teenagers and young adults in response to the elders’ stories.
“The Constellations Project acknowledges how many queer people have not had role models nor a blueprint of what life might look like as an aging adult,” said Kate Muehlemann Cataldo, the project’s creator and artist-in-residence at Side Street Projects.
The exhibition opening will include an artist talk at 3:00 p.m., with snacks and drinks served throughout the event. The exhibition will remain open through Thursday, August 14.
Now in its second year, the project is part of Cataldo’s artist residency at Side Street Projects. During its first year, the project featured legacy interviews over six weeks with three queer elders, with audio recordings shared with youth who created artistic responses that were showcased at the Altadena Pride Festival.
Cataldo, a visual artist, death doula, and founder of Constellations of Care, has a practice influenced by caregiving, queer identity, and end-of-life dialogue.
“Constellations of the night sky have shared stories and guidance throughout time, and The Constellations Project takes its name from this sentiment,” they explained.
The project positions elder queer experiences at the forefront of contemporary art discourse, reframing LGBTQ+ elders as narrators of resilience and repositories of collective memory. It creates an immersive, socially resonant experience that combines empathy, aesthetics, and advocacy.
Funding for The Constellations Project is provided by the Pasadena Community Foundation and SAGE Equity Innovation Lab. The event is free and open to the public.
The Constellations Project Exhibition Saturday, June 28, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Artist Talk at 3 p.m. Red Hen Press, 1540 Lincoln Ave., Pasadena. For more call (626) 798-7774 or visit https://www.sidestreet.org/event-calendar/constellations2025. Tickets: Free
