Participating artists:

Joey Brock
Keith Buswell
Meikel Church
Matthew Willie Garcia
Anthony Griego
Kelsey Harrison
Sarah Hill
David Jester
Kevin R. Kao
Brick Kyle
Cedar Marie
Stephanie L. Paine
Joel Parsons
John Rankine
Cedar Thomas
Rachel Trusty
Melissa Wilkinson

Curator Statement:

In 1891, Oscar Wilde wrote a children’s story entitled Star Child, in which a young boy whose beauty has caused him to grow cruel and proud is afflicted by a grotesque transformation as punishment from the gods. A kind of “love for the leper” narrative focuses on the pursuit of happiness and redemptive healing. It is a fairy tale in which shame and torment play a dominant role in the development of the protagonist’s moral character. 

It is a given that, even in 2021, “coming out” is an act rife with cultural and religious minefields. LGBTQ+ individuals navigate a complex cultural binary; they are supported by some while remaining as lepers to the rest. Writer and researcher Brene Brown writes, “Shame needs three things to grow exponentially in our lives: secrecy, silence, and judgment.” The works chosen for this exhibition are based on moving past issues of secrecy, silence, and judgement. They serve as a means to question binaries and subvert the dominant attitudes around gender and sexuality. This exhibition, being the first of its kind at Arkansas State, begins an initial, wide ranging conversation about the unique issues an LGBTQ+ artist may explore. 

This exhibition is intended to affix a celebratory gaze upon members of the LGBTQ+ community and experience. Each artist has been chosen and included by means of honoring and dignifying individual creative expressions of the identity. This diverse mix of artists grapples with unique perspectives of queer representation. No longer entirely covert in the west, queer love and expression has made its way into the public consciousness. 

-Melissa Wilkinson

Bradbury Art Museum is committed to making the region we share into a better, more inclusive place for all. It is our goal to help create a community that is compassionate, empathetic and understanding of the diversity of voices that make up the place we call home. This exhibition serves as one example of our dedication to providing a space for all voices to contribute to this dialogue.

- Garry Holstein, Director