Erie Art Gallery Hosts Queer Youth Art Exhibit

Friday, Mar. 13

Queer visibility matters. The Erie Art Gallery (EAG) knows this. Helping to give a voice to young members of the LGBTQIA+ community, their upcoming exhibit will feature some of those individuals. 

EAG's Margo Wolf explained what inspired this show, citing that "last year, the Greater Erie Alliance for Equality (GEAE) and the Erie Art Gallery had their first ever LGBTQ art exhibit that was wildly successful. One of the things we learned from that experience was that there were a number of young artists that also wanted to participate."

The show is called "I Am," open to ages 12 to 21, and it will be viewable until early April. As the title suggests, it seeks to build upon the notion of one's identity, marked by self-examination and reflection. On Friday, Mar. 13 there will be an opening reception, inviting the artists and their friends and family to join them, along with some light refreshments.

With help from the GEAE, Wolf and gallery founder Bradley Ford were joined by the local organization in the call for entries.

"We hope this is just the beginning for this exhibit," Wolf professed. "While it is a small show, it will most likely garner more support as the youth programming continues to move forward. EAG and GEAE want our queer youth to know that there is always a space for them at the table."

— Nick Warren

Opening reception at 7 p.m., show runs until April 3 // Erie Art Gallery, 24 West Eighth St. // Free // erieartgallery.com