Richmond ‘Gender’ exhibit has local ties

An artist from Troy makes the cut.

Contact contributing writer Pamela Dillon at pamdillon@woh.rr.com.


How to go

What: “Gender,” a juried show

Where: Indiana University East, 2325 Chester Blvd., Richmond, Ind.

When: April 9-June 19. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; weekends by appointment

Opening reception: 5-7 p.m. Friday

More info: 765-973-8605 or www.iue.edu/gallery

The annual Indiana University Women’s and Gender Studies Conference is being hosted by Indiana University East this year. Dayton resident Ann Kim is an assistant professor of fine arts at that university, and she thought it would be a great time to have an art exhibition that ties in with that theme.

“This conference draws students and faculty from all over the state,” said Kim. “Gender representation and feminism are also fields of my research interest, and I often teach courses on art and gender. I believe it is something that affects everyone’s lives and is ever so relevant in today’s political climate, both regionally and globally.”

Her point is underscored by a policital firestorm this past week in Indiana, the result of state legislation regarding religious freedom vs. gay rights.

The theme for this show encourages works with both a traditional and innovative approach to the subject. The “2015 Inaugural National Juried Art Exhibition: Gender” drew 160 submissions from which 40 were chosen for inclusion: 31 artists, 15 states.

One of those artists is Harry Ally from Troy; one of the jurors is Carrie Longley of Brookville.

Longley is an artist/educator who is also an assistant professor of fine arts at IU East. She holds a bachelor of arts degree from Wittenberg University and a master of fine arts from Indiana University in Bloomington.

Ally is presenting “Boy Legs With Polka Dots,” a 28-inch-by-22-inch work of charcoal, acrylic and colored pencil on paper.

“My work follows in the figurative tradition; it follows in man’s search for meaning and identity,” said Ally. “Drawing is the primal impulse to mark. It is a visual record of the mind, the body and the human spirit.”

Other works include “Hostage or Lover Herstory,” a femmage by Rhonda Thomas of Flagstaff, Ariz. A femmage is a collage by a female artist that includes collected objects, fabric scraps and printed images with a feminine theme. This 21-inch-by-25-inch work is created from antique quilt scraps, vintage Japanese woodcut, a Chinese parasol, paper and plastic fans. The work depicts two images: one traditional, one contemporary.

“I am excited about the diversity of the images that will be presented at the exhibition, from Dan Furnam’s contemporary photography to Olga Evanusa-Rowland’s assemblage to three video art,” said Kim. “The large charcoal drawing by Liz Leger, ‘The Virgin Bride,’ moves and flows through layered lines, while Sarah Bielski’s ‘Getting to Third’ is a more tongue-in-cheek approach to addressing womanhood.”

The show will also include two artist books: Brett Suemnicht’s “Fluid Identity” and Jes Fan’s “Emboss.” Suemnicht lives in Milwaukee, and Fan resides in New York City.

“We would like to thank the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Diversity Commission for their support in funding this important exhibition,” said Kim. “We would also like to thank all the participating artists, without whom this vision could not have come to fruition.”

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