Art Exhibit: "Queer Kids"
This past Friday, Michael Sharkey’s photography exhibition “Queer Kids” had its opening night in the Lamont Gallery. Students, faculty and others in the Exeter community came to observe photos and read about the life of youth around the world who identify as LGBTQ.
"...We hope that the exhibition validates who they are, inspires them to celebrate their identity..."
Director of Student Activities Joanne Lembo and Curator of the Lamont Gallery Lauren O’Neal and Sharkey started planning for the exhibition in 2015. Lembo knew Sharkey from college and decided to connect him with O’Neal, who was very excited to bring Sharkey’s works to the Exeter community. It took a long time for the project to materialize, as the three “had many email exchanges and a few conference calls,” according to O’Neal. “We also worked closely with the Stonewall Museum & National Archives in Florida, where ‘Queer Kids’ was displayed previously,” she said.
While he has showcased his work in galleries all over the world, from Florida to New York to Southern France, this is the first time Sharkey’s works have been brought to a high school art gallery. The photographer hopes that his works would inspire students to “see how powerful a documentary project can be.”
Especially given the recent emphasis on diversity and inclusion on campus, O’Neal hopes that this exhibition will do more than simply inspire students who are interested in arts. “For some students, we hope that the exhibition validates who they are, inspires them to celebrate their identity, and signals that there are people—students and adults—who care deeply about their well-being,” she said. She also hopes that other members of the community can realize the necessity to “challenge ourselves—to learn to engage with people and ideas that are different.”
At the exhibition, Hadley Camilus, Associate Dean of Multicultural Student Affairs, highlighted the importance of spreading knowledge and offering insight into what it’s like being queer. “It’s not often that we get to have the opportunity to talk to people whose lived experience is different,” he said. “I’m a black man, so it’s not often that someone can sit with me and say:‘What’s it like?’ because they don’t really know me, so these photographs, especially with the interviews underneath them, are very informative, and I imagine it would be like this for others as well.”
Echoing Camilus’ sentiments, lower Skye Newhall found that the exhibition has removed certain stereotypes about the LGBTQ community and has encouraged the notion of not judging a book by its cover. “I know a lot of people who are queer, and I’m part of that community mostly as an ally,” she said. “I feel like this exhibit shows that everybody looks like something. You can judge someone based off what they look like, but you don’t know what’s behind the surface.” Meanwhile, upper Ollie Young said that he was happy because the exhibition showed diversity. “There are people from Brussels to Washington, all races and all genders,” he said. “It’s nice to see that everyone’s being represented, and no one’s being left out.”
Aside from showcasing Sharkey’s photography, the exhibition also includes literary works from the library, such as Queer and Trans Artists of Color by Nia King. O’Neal also requested alumni, faculty members and students involved with the LGBTQ movement at Exeter to contribute by writing short essays and poems. At the opening night, Mercedes Carbonell, instructor of English and one of the first faculty to advise the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), read out a poem she had written about the alliance’s formation in the early ‘90s.
O’Neal and Stacey Durand, Gallery Manager, also set up a button-making station during the premiere, so that students can have fun creating buttons—each come with a meaning—after reflecting on the exhibition’s content. “Buttons tend to be something that are cute but people wear them with a message,” said Durand. Upper and Lamont Gallery proctor Jacob Hunter agreed, also adding that activities like these function as an added attraction to draw more gallery-goers. “Some people aren’t interested in just observing the art, so we try to find interactive ways to engage them,” he said.
Many students appreciate the support Exeter had shown towards the LGBTQ community through organizing the exhibition and encouraging faculties and students to come. Prep Emily Kang said, “I think it’s cool that Exeter does this since we have such a big community. Back in my old school, people who were LGBTQ didn’t usually come out because it was a small town.” Kang also described the exhibition as part of a “revolution that’s spreading across the world.”
In a similar vein, Office of Multicultural Students’ Affair intern Jessica Alvarez reflected on how the global view on LGBTQ had dramatically changed since she was growing up. “When I was figuring out my identity, this wasn’t something that would happen,” she said. “I’m queer, so getting to see an actual exhibit celebrating that is heartwarming for me.”