Works by Merced LGBTQ artists focus of new Multicultural Arts Center exhibit
An eclectic showcase of paintings, drawings, photographs, poems, films and more kicked off at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center (MAC) Wednesday, adorning the gallery walls with a colorful array of artwork.
The common thread tying together the diverse show is that every one of the 20-plus contributing artists are LGBTQ creators hailing from the Merced area.
Titled “Outloud: Celebrating the Colors of LGBTQIA+,” the show opened in the middle of Pride Month and runs through July 24.
The exhibit is intended to continue celebrations of LGBTQ people and their art after June Pride festivities end, Merced Pride Center Executive Director Jennifer McQueen told the Sun-Star.
McQueen is curating the show alongside Peter Gillis, another Merced Pride Center employee. The duo intentionally kept Outloud’s submission parameters as broad as possible, welcoming a range of mediums and subject matters into the exhibit.
“The queer community is already put into so many boxes with so many labels,” McQueen said. “But we really wanted to have an open opportunity to express who you are.”
The hope is that the show will help break down rainbow-clad stereotypes that can simplify the experiences of LGBTQ individuals, McQueen said.
Pride parades and rainbow colors help spread visibility and love between the LGBTQ community and its allies, but cannot capture the spectrum of those identities, she said.
The Outloud exhibit is meant to capture more of that nuance by showcasing work by LGBTQ artists that covers a broad span of themes, including but not limited to explicitly LGBTQ subjects.
“I’m hoping that some folks will be somewhat surprised that within Pride Month, it’s not just all rainbows,” McQueen said.
“I do see some value in bringing visibility to the community at large that breaks these stereotypes about what pride is and what the queer community is . . . everybody has different interests, no matter whether you’re queer or not.”
Outloud at the MAC
Gallery visitors are likely to be impressed by the high caliber of work in the exhibit, as well as how relatable many of the pieces are, Merced County Arts Council Executive Director Colton Dennis said.
The first floor of the exhibit features an assortment of drawings, paintings and other artwork. One large wall is devoted to several large canvasses by Outloud’s featured artist, Finn Haig.
The show’s second floor includes digital prints and a two hour video loop playing multiple films, including the award-winning film “An American Posada.” The film was created Workshop 44 Executive Director Robert Jerome Pagan, who spearheaded last month’s Merced Queer Film Festival.
The third floor of the MAC will run a temporary exhibit for visitors age 18 and older titled “Uncensored.” The June 19 through July 1 show will include artwork displaying nudity.
The public can visit the MAC and view Outloud on Wednesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. 6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4p.m. A gallery reception is scheduled for July 7.
Hope for a more inclusive Merced
The Outloud exhibit opens on the wake of the first annual Merced Queer Film Festival in May.
The first-time event ushered in a celebration of LGBTQ artists just ahead of Pride Month in June, featuring over 170 films either created by or reflective of the LGBTQ community.
The multi-day festival was welcomed with a rush of support from local businesses and community members.
Advocates say that although the Merced region still has progress to make toward becoming more welcoming and inclusive toward LGBTQ people and other groups, strides have been made.
“It really is a beautiful thing,” Dennis said of the progress the city has made. “It is, for the most part, except for a few voices,” he added, recalling a small group of protesters at the Pride flag raising ceremony.
The Progress Pride flag was raised this month in Bob Hart Square, marking just the second time the rainbow flag representing the LGBTQ community was raised by the city.
One of the individuals attending to protest the raising of the flag included a man holding a sign that said he was against flying it on city property. The event remained peaceful and protesters left midway through the ceremony.
“Hopefully, we’ll win them over too, someday,” Dennis said.
