Steven Arnold's Sex & Spirit Symposium

On April 25, 2026, Del Vaz Projects will host The Steven Arnold Sex & Spirit Symposium, framing the artist’s life as a departure point for a discussion on how queer sensibility has shaped creative and cultural movements over the last century. Highlighting Los Angeles as fertile ground for radical and mystical world-building, speakers and panelists explore queer spaces and scenes as expressed through biography, nightlife, aesthetics, spirituality, and preservation. Reflecting on his expansive universe in the aftermath of the AIDS crisis, the symposium emphasizes the urgency and importance of protecting and celebrating queer archives such as Arnold’s—approaching his life, and all artists' lives who were lost to AIDS, with the greatest sensitivity in the absence of their consent. 

Schedule 

12:00 PM - 12:20 PM Check-In & Welcome Remarks
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM Jarrett Earnest
1:00 PM - 1:50 PM Ron Athey & Anne Crawford, moderated by Bradford Nordeen
2:00 PM - 2:50 PM Rita Gonzalez & Joey Terrill, moderated by Anna Bane
3:00 PM - 3:50 PM Buffet Lunch
4:00 PM - 4:50 PM Isabelle Albuquerque & Laura Whitcomb, moderated by David Evans Frantz
5:00 PM - 5:50 PM Elena Gross & Lexi Bard Johnson, moderated by Kyle Croft
5:50 PM - 6:00 PM Closing Remarks