Experience the finest in LGBTQ+ visual arts.
9th Annual PROUD+
June 19 - July 31, 2026
Reception • July 11 6- 9 PM
Every year, PROUD+ reminds us that there is no single LGBTQ+ experience. Artists arrive with different histories and different reasons for creating. Some wear their identity openly within the work. Others approach the world through a quieter lens. What emerges is a richer picture of our community than any headline or slogan could ever provide.
Now in its ninth year, PROUD+ has grown into a Pride season tradition in Hillcrest's LGBTQ+ Cultural District. This year’s exhibition brings together 56 artists from 13 states who share a commitment to authentic creative practice. Their work reflects the simple truth that queer artists continue to shape the cultural life of our communities through the act of creation itself.
Free to the Public!
Artwork is for sale. Support LGBTQIA+ Artists.
As seen this year on The WORD San Diego, San Diego Pride Guide, San Diego Union Tribune and San Diego Tourism Authority’s Visit San Diego website.
Parental Advisory • Please note that the exhibit includes images that may not be appropriate for children or easily offended.
BEST IN SHOW
The Waterhole (Detail) by Ethan Kotch • Los Angeles
Nymphia Wind (detail) by Kaden Sebastian • Muncie, IN
Light is the Head that Wears a Paper Crown (detail) by Joshua Orozco (San Diego, CA)
PROUD+ 2026
Exhibiting Artists:
Featured Artist
DRUB
Erotic illustrator, painter and artist
Drub’s work moves between provocation and vulnerability, using the male figure as both subject and symbol. For PROUD+, the artist presents imagery charged with intimacy, erotic tension and kink. Beneath the sensual surface is a deeper meditation on masculine visibility and desire. Drub’s compositions resist shame and soften nothing, inviting viewers into spaces where sexuality becomes both personal truth and quiet rebellion. [San Diego]
NATIONAL ART EXHIBITION
Featuring Susan Alberts, Angel Angeles, Ren Antonelli-Weiss, Jey Austen, Nelson Balbela, Brandon Barón, Kelley Berg, Nikolas Boivin, Pierre Bounaud, Dean Brown, Miguel Camacho-Padilla, Rex Cassidy, Maurice Cassidy, Xyryk Clark, Ira Cosmos, Shawn Dettenmaier, Tommy Diethert, Timothy Doane, Dollsexposed, Lauren Faye Dove, David Dumo, Stevan Dupus, Dmitriy Gushchin, Terry Hastings, Brian Hicks, Deborah Hirshfield, Lunjia Hu, Steve Jensen, Anuj Jenveja, Ethan Kotch, Oliver Krueger, Carole Kuck, Annaliese Levaggi, Joshua Levin, Azian Nurudin, Efren Obeso, Joshua Orozco, Payton Ortolani, Samuel Perry, Jude Ribisi, RD Riccoboni, Ro Robertson, Edward Rubin, Danne Sadler, Kaden Sebastian, Annika Simmons, Lucas Smith, Christopher Strickland, Ramona Szczerba, David Russell Talbott, Teemstir, Stephanie Van de Wetering, Benjamin Walker, Danne Warhole, and Danielle Wogulis.
ONLINE GALLERY
Understanding the limitations of gallery space and the costs of shipping, The Studio Door includes an online portion of the exhibition. All artworks are for sale, unless noted. Please contact the gallery for more details.
PASSPORT MAGAZINE • June 2026 Passport Profile: Patric Stillman
Congratulations to our own Patric Stillman. What an honored to be featured in the June 2026 issue of PASSPORT Magazine, one of the country’s longest-running LGBTQ travel publications. The issue runs more than 80 pages and he is this month’s only 'passportprofile'. Bravo!!!
Patric is grateful to writer Marlene Shyer and the entire PASSPORT team for seeking him out and sharing the story behind his passion. The articIe touches on his journey as an artist, curator and gallery owner. It also shines a light on Fabulous Hillcrest, the incredible community surrounding The Studio Door.
For more than a decade, The Studio Door has worked to give LGBTQ artists visibility, professional presentation, and a place where their voices can be seen and heard. To see that mission recognized on a national level is fantastic for the Patric, the gallery, our artists and San Diego's LGBTQ Cultural District.
The Studio Door celebrates diversity, inclusion and equality by providing a welcoming, supportive and safe environment for all its artists. The Studio Door is gay-owned and operated.
SPECIAL EVENT OPENING NIGHT
Thank you to everyone who came out to support author Steph C, her guests and PROUD+ on Opening Night.
The Value of Broken Things
The Value of Broken Things by Steph C is a deeply personal collection exploring trauma, innocence lost, survival and the difficult path toward healing and self-worth. Available online through Amazonand Barnes & Noble.
Carne Asada & Pan Dulce
Carne Asada & Pan Dulce by Fred Portillo Sr is a bilingual collection of poetry celebrating Mexican-American culture, memory and family. Available through Amazon. Look for his next release in the coming weeks by following him on IG@oghappy
