“He’s My Lady” by Jeremy Brooks

The Indiana University East Fine Arts program is hosting an inaugural national themed juried art exhibition, and the theme for this year is “Gender.” The exhibit will be open from April 9-June 19 in the Whitewater Hall Art Gallery.

The juried art exhibit is supported by the IU East School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Diversity Commission. The exhibit coincides with the 27th Annual Indiana University Women’s and Gender Studies Undergraduate Conference being held at IU East April 9-10.

The show was juried by a panel of four judges: Ann Kim, assistant professor of fine arts; Carrie Longley, assistant professor of fine arts; Ed Thornburg, lecturer of fine arts; and Kate Cunningham, adjunct lecturer of fine arts at IU East and Purdue University College of Technology.

Monetary awards will be given to the top three artists.

Kim said the exhibition is set to become an annual juried exhibition each spring with a rotating theme.  She added there were nearly 160 works of art submitted from which 40 were chosen for inclusion, representing 30 artists from 15 states.

The exhibit includes 2-D, 3-D and video. The artwork selected for the exhibit specifically deals with the fluidity of gender and sexuality; commentary on and/or challenging the conventional gendered language in visual art; reworking the conventions of representing gender and gendered bodies; investigating the shifting gender roles in today’s society; questioning the stereotypes of femininity and masculinity; the state of today’s parenthood; and promoting greater understanding of the LGBTQ community.

The opening reception for the exhibition is from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, April 9, at the Art Gallery, located in Whitewater Hall. Award winners will be announced at 6 p.m.

Visitors are welcome to view the exhibit during gallery hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, call Ed Thornburg, gallery curator, at (765) 973-8605 or visit iue.edu/gallery.

Participating artists include:
Harry Ally, Troy, Ohio
Mary Ellen Bertram, Farmland, Indiana
Sarah Bielski, Satesboro, Georgia
Walt Bistline, Richmond, Indiana
Jeremy Brooks, Carbondale, Illinois
JT Bruns, Los Angeles, California
Amy Cannestra, Madison, Wisconsin
Evelyn Davis-Walker, Lewis-Center, Ohio
Pamela Dodds, Cleveland, Ohio
J. Casey Doyle, Moscow, Idaho
Chloë Feldman Emison, Boston, Massachusetts
Olga Evanusa-Rowland, Corte Madera, California
Jes Fan, New York, New York
Dan Farnum, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Liliana Guzman, Richmond, Indiana
Susan Hensel, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Tracy Kerdman, New York, New York
Elizabeth Leger, Berkeley, California
Debra Levie, Chicago, Illinois
Rachel Livedalen, Fort Worth, Texas
Manda McKay, Athens, Georgia
Desiree Moore, Tampa, Florida
Jessica Pleyel, Iowa City, Iowa
Kaly Reichter, Richmond, Indiana
Daniela Rosario, Brentwood, New York
Michael Smith, Ogden Dunes, Indiana
Brett Suemnicht, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Runcie Tatnall, Nacogdoches, Texas
Rhonda Thomas, Flagstaff, Arizona
Katy Traughber, New Albany, Indiana
Joni Wildman, Madison, Wisconsin