Art show honors Pride Month
The Craft Studio will host the artwork April 6 to April 16.
Published April 13, 2010
Initially, one might not see a central theme that unites the pieces displayed in the Craft Studio this month. The clean, modern room lines its walls with soft, abstract paintings and photographic portraits. With a variety of works ranging from art photography to traditional painting and embroidery, the exhibit is much like any other student artist showcase. Upon further inspection, the message behind the work becomes clear.
April is Pride Month, a celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning culture, both at MU and many other campuses nationwide.
Zach Rose-Heim, LGBTQ Resource Center student staff member, said Pride Month is an effective tool to educate the masses regarding tolerance and LGBTQ issues.
"There's college campuses all across the country right now that are just celebrating diversity and specifically working towards educating people about the LGBTQ community," Rose-Heim said.
Although this isn't the first time MU has participated in Pride Month, the art show is a new concept this year. Created to provide an artistic outlet for the LGBTQ community and its allies, the exhibit provides a safe haven for members of the community to express their joys and turmoil.
"The idea is to give artists that are members of the LGBTQ community and their allies a safe place to display their work," Rose-Heim said.
The pieces present in the exhibit are varied and expressed in a multitude of media. Artist Tricia Johnson creates abstract representations of scenes from lesbian pornography, and photographer Jade Li chooses a more literal route with distinctly sexual black and white photos of the nude male form. Many of the works present contain subject matter relevant to LGBTQ awareness and issues; others are simply the expressions of artists who identify or ally themselves with the community.
"Some of the pieces that you'll see are directly related to a certain aspect of LGBTQ life," Rose-Heim said. "Others are just expressions of that person."
One photograph in the gallery is particularly poignant, sending a clear message by means of a shocking image. "Transphobia Hurts" is a self photograph taken by artist Emily Colvin, a transgender woman who was physically attacked for her gender identification. In the photo, a bloodied Colvin stares into the camera lens, cuts and bruises adorning her face. Colvin said her work would cause the public to contemplate issues of discrimination, phobias and the effects of ignorance in society.
"My piece is just a mild example of what can happen to people because of ignorance," Colvin said. "I got a couple of black eyes and some cuts. Some people are killed because they're trans."
