WHAT’S GOOD: CHELSEY LUSTER

Chelsey Luster is a Philadelphia-based visual artist, curator, and educator from Baltimore, Maryland, and the founder of Luster Gallery + Studio. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Tyler School of Art and Architecture. Luster’s artistic practice explores the complexities of safe spaces within Black, Queer, and Femme communities through mixed-media paintings and immersive installations, focusing on giving agency to her subjects and their lived experiences. As a curator, Luster creates care-centered, community-rooted exhibitions that emphasize LGBTQIA+ liberation, racial justice, and feminism. Her curatorial approach prioritizes long-term support, creative agency, mutual respect, and accessible engagement. She currently serves as Exhibition Manager at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. Luster has exhibited in collaboration with IceBox Project Space, Da Vinci Art Alliance, the William Way LGBT+ Center, and the Center for Emerging Visual Artists. Her work has been featured at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and is held in the permanent collections of Penn Medicine and the Woodmere Museum.

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We asked Chelsey to share a few favorite spots around Philly.

Tell us about some Philly spots you find yourself returning to over and over.
I always find myself at the Fabric Workshop and Museum or Icebox Project Space. They have some of the most dynamic and immersive exhibitions in Philly. The FWM residency program produces thoughtful solo exhibitions and Icebox Project Space transforms their space into another world with every exhibition.