SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Artists have often used their creativity to give voice to their strengths and struggles. This year, both Tate Britain’s Queer British Art 1861-1967 and Leslie-Lohman, Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art’s Art AIDS America took a look back in time at the contributions of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) creatives. Meanwhile, The Studio Door has been preparing PROUD, a national exhibition, showcasing works of art from 34 emerging artists to showcase the present through authentic viewpoints that underscore the communities unique identities and diversity.
PROUD will run from June 2 – 25, 2017 with a reception on Saturday, June 3, 2017 from 6 PM – 9 PM at The Studio Door (3750 30th Street, San Diego, California). Artwork will also be available in gallery and on-line at www.TheStudioDoor.com, where the public can preview the exhibition catalog.
“Artists from 22 states submitted to PROUD to offer work that serves as a fresh look at the LGBTQ community in the here and now. Because we read of individual and political struggles on a daily basis in the media, it seemed the right moment to remind people of the community’s inner strength and resilience through both serious and playful works,” said Patric Stillman, Artist and Director of The Studio Door gallery and studios.
Three of the works that have been singled out in the exhibition, include:
PRIDE PARADE, Oil on Canvas, by Patrick Brown (Escondido, California)
Patrick Brown is the exhibition’s Best in Show artist. Patrick Brown’s body of work willingly takes us along through a journey of personal strength, deep sadness and political struggles. His exhibiting works in PROUD relate directly to pride related subject matter.
PRIDE PARADE
by Patrick Brown
(Escondido, California)
Oil on Canvas
20″ x 20”
AS HE IS, Photograph on Metal, by Shaun Martins (Cranston, Rhode Island)
With this work, Shaun utilizes the camera to stop time and create a moment of meditative beauty. There is a strength to his black and white photography that undeniable captures the emotional connection that lies within ordinary moments.
AS HE IS
by Shaun Martins
(Cranston, Rhode Island)
Photo on Metal 10″ x 10”
TOP SURGERY: 60 Days Post-Op A Transgender Self-Portrait, Clay, by Mac McCusker (Ashville, NC)
Mac bravely captures the intimacy of transitioning. One can’t look at Top Surgery without being moved by the extremely personal nature of the work. At the same time, the art immediately connects us to the realities of social and political struggles.
TOP SURGERY: 60 Days Post-Op. A Transgender Self-Portrait
by Mac McCusker
(Ashville, NC)
Clay
19″ x 17″ x 12”
The show’s juror Alex Fialho is Visual AIDS Programs Director and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Research and Curatorial Associate (New York City). In addition to being a frequent contributor to Artforum, Fialho curated “Michael Richards: Winged” last summer at the Arts Center at Governors Island this summer that received rave reviews in the New York Times and his collection of oral histories will be part of the Smithsonian Archives of American Art’s forthcoming “Visual Arts and the AIDS Epidemic Oral History Project.” Founded in 1988, Visual AIDS is an arts organization that connects HIV/AIDS awareness with the visual arts. A reminder that the fight against HIV/AIDS is not over. www.visualaids.org
PROUD at Pride, a sister exhibit featuring six San Diego LGBTQ artists has been curated by Art of Pride and is being held at the San Diego Pride offices.
Continuing the theme of gay identity, Stillman will be featured in a solo show of his own work following PROUD at The Studio Door in a July exhibit, Person, Place or Thing.
For more details on PROUD or The Studio Door, visit www.thestudiodoor.com.
