“Body Politics,” an exhibit of art that traces how the body serves as a catalyst, canvas and symbol for political action and expression in LGBTQI+ communities, opens Friday, Oct. 5, at Glendale’s Downtown Central Library.
The exhibit in the library’s “ReflectSpace” and “PassageWay” is curated by Anahid Yahjian and Ara and Anahid Oshagan. “Body Politics foregrounds the power and humanity of queer bodies in Glendale,” said Yahjian, “at a time when marginalized voices around the world are finally being heard in the mainstream.”
An announcement of the exhibit says it “is framed by the painstakingly documented—and still ongoing—history of LGBTQI+ civil rights struggles and contemporary visual art by 16 American and international artists of diverse backgrounds: Enrique Castrejon, Grey James, Nicole Kelly and Phoebe Unter (Bitchface), Devon Shimoyama, Annie Tritt and James Wentzy are the eight artists showing in the ReflectSpace Gallery. Also included is an artist who works with the queer community in Armenia but wishes to be anonymous to protect him/herself and family.
The PassageWay will showcase the history of LGBTQI+ civil rights activism compiled by the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the USC Libraries, as well as limited edition contemporary serigraphs by queer Los Angeles artists contributed by Self Help Graphics. These artists are: Ruben Esparza, Antonio Ibanez and Carlos Bueno, Rigo Maldonado, Miguel Angel Reyes, Gabriel Garcia Roman, Shizu Saldamando and Hector Silva.
The exhibit runs from Friday to Nov. 21, with the opening reception slated for Oct. 12 at 7 p.m., to honor National Coming Out Day.
Supporting programs include:
Nov. 8. A presentation by Professor Broderick Fox from Occidental College, who will offer a lecture, with clips, on queer and feminist performativity and autobiography in documentary, from 1968 to the present. This will be held in the Library Auditorium on Nov. 8, beginning at 8 p.m.
Oct. 24. An LGBTQI+ panel presentation will be held on Oct 24, at 7 p.m. and will be moderated by Joey Hernández of the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
In addition, a “Queer Pop- Up Café” will be hosted inside the ReflectSpace Gallery that will offer queer community members a place to share their stories privately in a community setting. The event will be moderated and is invitation-only. Please contact aoshagan@glendaleca.gov for additional information.
ReflectSpace is located at the Downtown Central Library, 222 E. Harvard, in Glendale.
