How New York Lottery Gave It's Ad Media to Queer Artists for Pride

This Pride Month, the New York Lottery did something it’s never done before. In collaboration with McCann New York, the New York Lottery replaced the promotion of its legendary cash prizes and gave its 14,000+ advertising spaces across the state— billboards, kiosks, social, website, you name it – to queer artists instead.

'The Art Werk Gallery' has been running across New York State all of June, and marks arguably the biggest public showcase of queer art in the country.

“This campaign is a celebration of Pride that doesn’t just say it supports queer voices—it gives them the biggest stage that the New York Lottery has,” said Cuanan Cronwright, EVP, executive creative director, McCann New York. “New York Lottery reminds us that sometimes the most valuable thing we can win isn’t measured in dollars.”

The artists featured are visual artists Jarrett Key (they/them) and Rani Som (she/her), illustrator Marcos Chin (he/him), photographer Andina Marie Osorio (she/her), and designer and muralist Audra Linsner (she/her).

Visual artist Rani Som shared the impact of her involvement in the campaign. “It means the world to me. Art can be an incredible and immediate way to put queer ideas out into the world - and the more of us that are out there visibly making and showing our art, the more undeniable and powerful we become.”

Brooklyn based Jarrett Key shared that, “Being a part of the NYL Art Werk campaign has been such a gift. As an artist, one of the best parts about finishing a painting, other than the huge sense of accomplishment and relief, is seeing your work in public. In a world where we are always looking down at small screens, it feels significant that my work is living on larger screens across the state. Folks are taking the time to look up, away from their phones, to engage work that moves them.”

Illustrator Marcos Shin added, “Knowing that my work's been seen by millions across New York feels incredible. When I make work that relates to my queerness, I often think about a younger version of myself who's viewing the piece. It makes me grateful that maybe a young kid, gay kid, sees themselves reflected in the drawings that I've made. For most of our lives, many of us were told to hide. I like to believe that seeing my work, specifically through the lens of celebrating my queerness during Pride Month, might inspire other young queer artists to make work about their identity.”

Muralist Audra Linser said, “To have such wide-scale visibility for queer artists is incredibly important. Queer artists have existed for millenia, but to have the space carved out specifically for us helps cement that what we do is noteworthy, uplifting, and crucial! New Yorkers are a notoriously fast-moving bunch. My hope is that this art makes some of us take a second to pause, think, wonder, and enjoy Pride in a different setting than they usually would. Every small interaction has the power to shift perceptions, and help us create a more full, fluid interpretation of the queer community in our minds.”

For more information on the artists behind the work, please visit https://nylottery.ny.gov/artwerk-gallery