Chelsey Luster

CFEVA Artistic Advisor

Artist; Exhibition Manager, Philadelphia Magic Gardens; Owner and Founder, Luster Gallery + Studio

Chelsey Luster is a Philadelphia-based visual artist, curator, educator, and the owner and founder of Luster Gallery + Studio. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, she earned her BFA from Tyler School of Art and Architecture. Her artistic practice explores the complexities of safe spaces within Queer and Black culture through mixed-media paintings and immersive installations that give agency to her subjects. Through interviews, photoshoots, and collaborative processes, she centers the lived experiences of Black, Queer, and Femme individuals, allowing them to define safety through sound, texture, color, and place. Luster’s work is deeply rooted in Philadelphia communities and challenges conventional ideas of identity, representation, and belonging. As a curator, she creates care-centered, community-rooted exhibitions that incorporate experimental installation while prioritizing long-term support, mutual respect, and creative agency. She currently serves as the Exhibition Manager at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, where she manages Isaiah Zagar’s collection and oversees the Julia Zagar Residency for Women Artists. Luster has curated exhibitions in collaboration with institutions including IceBox Project Space, Da Vinci Art Alliance, the William Way LGBT+ Center, and the Center for Emerging Visual Artists. Her work has been exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and is part of the permanent collections of both Penn Medicine and the Woodmere Art Museum.