If you're interested in showing your work, contact Megan Carney, Director, at carneym@uic.edu.
couplings:
on the brink of same sex marriage in Illinois
This interactive visit examines multiple and diverse perspectives on possible impacts of same sex marriage legislation in Illinois. We invite you to stop by, read the texts that have been collected so far and add your point of view. The exhibit seesk to expand the dialogue beyond pro and con to consider the future of LGBTQ invidividuals and communities as well as collective priorities for social justice action.
Curated by Megan Carney, Director of the Gender and Sexuality Center, and David Maya, undergraduate in Psychology and GSC student worker.
This is a photo slideshow (.mov file) of the couplings exhibit. Best viewed on Mac with Quicktime.
Some people thought they’d never live to see the day.
Others view same sex marriage as a pathway to full citizenship.
Some believe that the mainstream LGBT movement has focused on same sex marriage to the detriment of other urgent issues.
Others can’t understand why LGBT people are fighting to be part of such a historically problematic institution as marriage.
Where do you stand? What does this mean…
…for LGBTQ communities?
…for the future of LGBTQ identity?
…for undocumented LGBTQ people?
…for transgender people denied protections at work?
…for homeless queer youth in the streets and shelters?
…for a couple that has been together for many years?
…for a couple just falling in love?
…for you?
Visitors to the exhibit are invited to leave written responses that will get typed and added to the wall.
Definition of coupling from Merriam Webster Dictionary
1: the act of bringing or coming together: pairing: specifically: sexual union
2: a device that serves to connect the ends of adjacent parts or objects
3: the joining of or the part of the body that joins the hindquarters to the forequarters of a quadruped
4: a means of electric connection of two electric circuits by having a part common to both
This is an interview from the fall with student artist Maria Alejos '13 and
GSC staff member Moises Villada talking about her "BOXES" exhibit.
This is a slideshow from Maria Alejos' art gallery opening of "BOXES"
at the Gender and Sexuality Center. If you are having difficulty with viewing,
see if you need to install any Plug-ins to view Quicktime.
In addition to the 10 large format prints, there was audio from the participants.
Artist Statement:
Being part of the LGBTQ community has inspired me to produce this project titled BOXES. The women in this project identify as lesbian, bisexual or queer. Through photography I wanted to depict their attitudes and their pride. The accompanying audio piece provides their personal opinions.
I started by asking how they feel about being part of the LGBTQ community. Through the interviews I learned their stories and point of views about the “labels” that society uses to describe their sexual orientation and gender identity. The people I interviewed and photographed are comfortable with who they are but feel “boxed in” by the stereotypes and expectations of society.
Artist Bio:
Maria Alejos is originally from Guatemala City and now lives in Chicago. She is in her last year of a Photography Fine Art degree at UIC and intends to pursue a MFA in photography in graduate school. Maria’s work consists of digital and analog photography and she’s interested in exploring more deeply how other mediums of art can be combined with photography. Some of her interests include building frames, traveling, and exploring all kinds of music.
Maria is also the co-founder of LIGHT (Learning Instruments for Tomorrow), which is a non-profit organization that provides children with school supplies in areas where supplies are scarce, unaffordable, and much appreciated. LIGHT collects new and gently used backpacks as well as pens, pencils, erasers, paper, folders, rulers, glue, chalk, and coloring materials. You can find out more at “Learning Instruments for Tomorrow” on Facebook.
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