Editor's note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan's Second Wave's On the Ground Kalamazoo series.

KALAMAZOO, MI — Transgender Day of Visibility has its roots in Michigan. International TDOV was created in 2010 by trans advocate Rachel Crandall, the head of Transgender Michigan, “in response to the overwhelming majority of media stories about transgender people being focused on violence," according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

Every year, Crandall’s fellow constituents celebrate this day through what could be perceived as the very radical act of existing as a trans person.  

On March 7th at 5 pm, in 2025, folx of all kinds crammed into Outfront, Kalamazoo to get out of the cold and into a warm environment lit up with the smiles of artists from every color of the rainbow in the Outfront Trans Art Gallery in commemoration of Transgender Day of Visibility, part of the March Art Hop. Some were creating their work in their booths, and some chatting with their neighbors and customers, comparing processes.
 
“What kind of acrylic paint pens work best?” one artist shouted from across the room. Beautiful artwork lines the walls and the tables, and every artist here seemed joyful, geared up for what comes next. 

Artist Sandelis Miller: Cultivating color crops and sustainable color

Sandelis Miller is a local artist and member of the Institute for Social and Economic Development who creates work with natural ingredients and sustainable elements.

As an ​​”artist, gardener, and green kitchen witch, creating accessible and engaging learning experiences,” Miller works as a certified Educator for Sustainable Development skilled in adaptive arts, content development, and small-scale food and farm systems. Their focus is to “challenge social constructions and hierarchies, and promote access and interdependence,” Miller says.

Artist Sandelis Miller is committed to creating with natural, sustainable elements.According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, heavy rains are becoming more frequent across the Northern United States, which creates a multitude of problems, from pollution to soil erosion to nutrient runoff issues on farms. As a solution, Miller recommends that people consider planting cover crops.

In their booth, Miller provides free informational posters of certain cover crops, a collaboration with Taylor Fourt, Karl.a Conrad, and Kathryn Gamble to create, informing everyone on the benefits of planting barley, turnips, mustard, clover, oats, rye, alfalfa, and so much more. The posters share the benefits — from attracting pollinators, controlling weeds, feeding animals, adding nitrogen to the roots of plants, and building up nutrients in the soil. 

Jewelers Stephanie Thomas and Zoe Lunar Mothian

Local jeweler Stephanie Thomas, founder of Cur8ble told JCK, says that “universally designed accessories, including fine jewelry, is an untapped market.” Jeweler extraordinaire Zoe Lunar Mothian, another artist at Outfront’s show, dazzles customers with wearables that shine in both craftsmanship, accessibility, universality, and price. “I’ve always had a deep love for jewelry, and I think everyone should have access to it because it’s just a way to express your personality and your style — so I try to make my pieces cheaper even if it’s a lot of work because people deserve to feel beautiful.” 

Earrings created by Zoe Lunar Mothian“It’s gorgeous,” I tell them, my auburn eyes glistening towards the many gold pieces. I take this moment to embrace my inner aesthetic and ask: “What does gold mean to you?” 

“I think it’s so warm,” they tell me, “and so it just adds this feeling of comfort and warmth.” 

Lunar Mothian logoSeeing the wonderfully crafted pieces, I wonder how inflation and tariff politics are affecting Lunar Mothian’s business. “It’s a bit hard,” they tell me, “if you want to buy new materials, it’s more expensive, but a lot of the time I will get jewelry secondhand and deconstruct it to make new pieces.” Since all of their pieces seem brand new, it’s incredibly impressive to know some of the pieces on this table may have been repurposed. If you’re interested in accessorizing without the turmoil of gendered expectations or breaking the bank, you can find Lunar Mothian on etsy. 

Artist Rose Harrington: Multi-media artist and social media explorer

Rose Harrington is a trans-identifying artist joining other creatives on a mass exodus from traditional social media. With unique compositions that explore different mediums as well as the constructs of what it means to be in the queer community, Harrington says their favorite colors just happen to be blue and pink, two out of three of the Trans liberation flag colors. They also say they are interested in exploring new forms of social media. 

Rose Harrington artworkSocial media is a valuable tool for artists, providing information on grant funding, pitch contests, calls to entry, RFQs, RFPs, and many other pivotal and fleeting resources that working artists depend on. The Human Rights Campaign released an article in January on the dangers for LGBTQIAP+ people based on the new policies on Meta platforms that dismantle a Hateful Conduct Policy that would expressly permit abuse towards queer and trans people. 

Along with terminating any broader diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, many queer and trans users are now exploring their options outside of Meta platforms. “I’m exploring Cara a lot more,” says Harrington, a new art-sharing app that provides an alternative for artists who often rely on social media for work. You can find them there under the username @rosarybud. 

Artist Silas Bush: Cross-cultural artist who loves the color green

Silas Bush, also known as Sillkore, creates muted cross-cultural illustrations that ignite a sense of calm, cool, and collectiveness. According to their artist statement, they are influenced by “manga artists like Atsushi Ōkubo (Soul Eater), Taiyō Matsumoto (No.5), and Harold Sakuishi (BECK), Bush's work carries a kinetic energy and an experimental approach to character design."

Their art is also shaped by the alternative animation of the late ’90s and early 2000s, particularly the gritty urban narratives of MTV’s Downtown. 

Artwork by Silas Bush"Their characters are classically cool,' says Bush, a student at Michigan State University who works in an art museum. "I love drawing guys that look like girls. I love drawing girls that look like guys." And from the looks of it, they really love the color green in all of its tints, shades, and combinations. Bush says the key to cool art and cool character can be found in “literally being yourself. People always ask me if I have a meaning to my art or whatever, and I really don't. I just try to draw stuff that I think looks awesome, and I take inspiration from other stuff that I really like that I think looks awesome, and I just mash it all together and put my own spin on it.”
 
With all the doom and gloom in the world, the steady rise in hate crimes in our nation, and the frustration and hopelessness many of us feel, it is inspiring to see artists expressing themselves.

Exploring cultures and mediums, communicating and collaborating, embracing universal perspectives, protecting our Earth, and expressing their joy rooted in what could be, rather than what is, the artists at Outfront’s Trans Art Gallery are helping catapult us into the future — against all odds.