SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Queer Spectra Arts Festival hosted its fifth annual festival showcasing the work of over 40 artists from the local LGBTQIA+ community.

QSAF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Utah LGBTQIA+ artists through the annual festival and scholarship donations, according to the website.

The festival began each day with open gallery time, followed by a workshop or a guest speaker, a performance, and a post-show Q&A. Last year, over 600 people attended the festival, the site said.

The festival first began in 2019 as a one-day event featuring 31 artists. It has since changed venue, added another day, and increased the number of artists featured. According to the site, the purpose of the event is to showcase artwork from the LGBTQIA+ community “and engage audiences in conversation regarding art and queer identity.”

“That’s what it’s about is being in community,” organizer Wynter Storm said. “It doesn’t matter race, gender, it doesn’t matter, were just being as one, all for the love of art.”

The name Queer Spectra is inspired by the many meanings of the word spectrum including “a band of colors” and a “position on a scale between two extreme points,” according to the website.

While organizers say the event is free in an effort to keep the doors open to whoever wants to participate, donations are encouraged and used to support the festival and the community.

Sunday, May 21 is the last day of this year’s festival. In order to participate in next year’s event, see the festival’s social media for deadlines and information.