Pride in the Collection Celebrates Queer Artists
Erie Art Museum exhibition spans nearly 80 years of queer artistic expression
Queer art is often defined by its engagement with themes of gender, sexuality, and identity. But the power of queer art lies not only in its subject matter, but in its existence itself. At its core, queer art is also about visibility – the ability of LGBTQIA+ artists to create, express themselves, and share their work on their own terms.
"Painting relates to both art and life. Neither can be made – I try to act in the gap," said Robert Rauschenberg, the influential American painter and multimedia artist. His photolithograph, Untitled (1973), is among the artworks included in Pride in the Collection at the Erie Art Museum and is featured on the cover of this issue of the Erie Reader.
The museum will host Pride in the Collection on Saturday, June 6, a special exhibition and fundraising event featuring artwork by LGBTQIA+ artists, spanning nearly eight decades of queer artistic expression.
The exhibit brings together works by influential artists including Paul Cadmus, David Hockney, and Andy Warhol while also spotlighting emerging artists from Gannon University, Penn State Behrend, Allegheny College, and PennWest Edinboro. The collection features a variety of mediums, including painting, prints, photography, textiles, jewelry, and mixed-media pieces.
"LGBTQIA+ artists have always been part of our story – woven into this collection, this institution and this community," said Laura Domencic, executive director of the Erie Art Museum. "Pride in the Collection is our opportunity to celebrate that openly, and to begin a new tradition that grows with Erie."
During the museum's ongoing digitization efforts, staff opened a box containing Artifacts at the End of a Decade (1981), a collaborative portfolio featuring works by 44 New York avant-garde artists. The discovery helped inspire the museum's inaugural Pride in the Collection exhibition being held this year.
Domencic credited museum board member and cultural studies scholar John Champagne with much of the research that helped shape the exhibition and contextualize the portfolio's significance.
"In many ways, Artifacts at the End of a Decade is the anchor of this presentation," Domencic said. "It's a true treasure trove – all in one box. As John began researching the portfolio and the artists involved, the exhibition started to take shape and evolve from there."
The Erie Art Museum hopes to establish Pride in the Collection as an annual tradition. In addition to celebrating LGBTQIA+ artists, the community event serves as a fundraiser supporting the exhibition's continuation in future years.
The event will also support the museum's ongoing digitization efforts. Proceeds will help bring works from the museum's permanent collection online, making the artwork and stories accessible to audiences well beyond the museum's walls. The museum describes this project as a "long-term commitment that extends well beyond a single evening."
The Pride in the Collection show will also feature locally produced artwork from LGBTQIA+ identifying artists including this piece from Gaby Apollo Reyes entitled The Gay Agenda #2. (Contributed Photo)
Pride in the Collection underscores how museums can hold space for work that spans generations, connecting artists and audiences through artwork and storytelling. The exhibition places contemporary artists in conversation with figures who helped shape art history. By exhibiting student work alongside pieces from internationally recognized artists, the museum hopes to encourage young creators while expanding conversations about representation.
"The artists whose work hangs in museums today were once young artists looking for their first opportunity, too," Domencic said. "Having work displayed in a museum is a significant milestone early in an artist's career. It tells young artists that their work matters. The students are very excited."
Maeve McCormick, 22, a student at Gannon University, is one of the artists featured in Pride in the Collection. Her collage piece, Memory is the Muse, incorporates both her poetry and journalistic writing.
"Art has no rules but holds so much importance – what a perfect place for queer people to exist," McCormick said. "In today's climate that's actively trying to silence us, as well as countries that don't allow queer people to live freely, art is the easiest way to express ourselves. Art is still a way to bring meaning and expression in a discreet yet powerful way."
Domencic said the exhibition also reflects a broader commitment to self-expression and visibility.
"Celebrating LGBTQIA+ artists is at the core of the collection. Everyone should be able to be themselves," Domencic said. "People should feel free to express who they are, and art is one of the most powerful outlets for that expression."
For many LGBTQIA+ artists, art served as more than creative expression. Paintings, photographs, and prints often became records of lives and experiences that were otherwise absent from public narratives or not safe to share publicly. The exhibition reflects that history while celebrating the artists who continue to shape queer culture today.
That legacy continues in the work of contemporary, local artists featured in the exhibition. Works from the museum's permanent collection are shown alongside Erie-based artists, including Gaby Apollo Reyes, whose comic-style painting The Gay Agenda #2 is among those on view.
McCormick said being included in the exhibition has left her feeling grateful and aware of the opportunity it represents. She hopes the exhibition encourages others to create and find meaning in art.
"Being a part of this collection just shows how lucky I am," McCormick said. "I want to use this privilege to invite others out there to create. Art is a journey, and so is understanding who you are. I hope all of the queer artists involved can inspire others to find comfort in art."
Museums play an important role in creating spaces where diverse stories can be shared, preserved, and understood, particularly for artists and communities whose work has historically been underrepresented in institutional collections. The Erie Art Museum aims to do that for Erie, both for the audiences that visit the museum and for the artists featured on its walls.
"There's a lot to like in this exhibit. It's great to have such a range of mediums and such an interesting culmination of work. It's a great way for the museum to connect with young, contemporary artists. We're excited to share it," Domencic said.
By bringing together internationally recognized artists and emerging local voices, Pride in the Collection highlights both the history of queer artistic expression and its continued presence and growth within Erie's arts community.
The evening reception for Pride in the Collection will feature live music, cocktails, and light bites, marking the beginning of what organizers hope will become a lasting tradition celebrating queer artists. The event will open the exhibition as both a celebration of queer artists and a reflection of the museum's broader effort to build an ongoing tradition of visibility through its collection.
Saturday, June 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. // Erie Art Museum, 20 E. 5th St. // Ticket prices vary // For tickets and info: erieartmuseum.org/pride
Julia Carden can be reached at juliacarden91@gmail.com
