Description

Each Twin Cities Pride Artist in Residence was asked to create a piece of art that was their interpretation of the 2024 festival theme: Pride 365. 
 
Square 12×12 Print – Wil Natzel Pride 365 Print

Artist Bio:
Wil Natzel is a gay artist, creator, and graduate of the Cranbrook Academy of Art with a Master of Architecture, the cradle of American design. Straddling the line between art and architecture, his portfolio includes private commissions and public projects for Twin Cities Pride, SooVAC, and Gamut Gallery, spanning various cities including Minneapolis and Saint Paul. He serves as an Artist-in-Residence with Twin Cities Pride and has been awarded multiple grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board, Forecast, and Pufn Foundation for his architecture exploration devices. His work has been showcased in Wired, PBS MN Original, and various design platforms. Wil has contributed as a visiting architecture critic at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, University of Minnesota, and Iowa State University. Through his creations, he crafts new public art, environments, and abstract objects that challenge perception and reveal the relativity of individual experiences. His latest endeavors involve animated architecture exploration devices. This fall, he will participate in the Institute for Public Architecture’s residency program on Governors Island in NYC, where he will advance the design and development of a pop-up queer-themed architecture installation as he works to bring it to fruition.

Artist Statement:
My vibrant artwork 360/7-PPB celebrates “Show Your Pride 365” by representing the diverse and dynamic spectrum of the queer landscape. Each colorful pattern represents the continuous gradient of identities, emphasizing the beauty of authenticity and the strength found in living our truth selves every day. I aim to capture the essence of Pride as a vibrant, ongoing celebration that transcends a single month.