Pride and Prejudice: Gender Realities in the 21st Century

A juried competition exhibition: June 20-July 14, 2018  Opening Reception:  Friday, June 23, 6 - 9pmParticipating artists:Jill AnnieMargaret,  Elizabeth Arden,  Martin Beck,  Leah Mulligan Cabinum,  Nelson Cantada,  Kristin Cass,  Marion Delarue,  Evin Dubois,  Abigail Engstrand,  David A. Feingold,  Mary Frances Fleming,  Nicolina Holt,  Michael Hubbard,  Kevin Kegler,  Emily Lombardo,  Jamie Luoto,  Jessica Malatia,   Kelly Mathews,  Luis Mejico,   Hayden Nagin,   Cassandra Opaskar,  John Paradiso,   Ahmad Jahandeh Poshtiri,  EM Racine,  Leslie Robison,  Andre Rubin,  Dan Scott,  Omi Torres,   Sanh Brian Tran,  Antoinette Viola,GENDER—perhaps the most essential aspect of one’s person— has transcended the binary ideas of the past, evolving into complex conceptions about identity and sexuality. While contemporary gender expression has created space for empowerment and freedoms for many, it remains confusing for some, wrong-headed for others, and a topic that is continually fascinating to the media. Many welcome this attention and the progress it bodes; but it has also resulted in pain, harassment, and discrimination for others.ARC, established as a woman-run gallery 45 years ago, continues to embrace and honor the various struggles associated with belonging to a particular gender. Because of this mission, the gallery is presenting  a juried exhibition entitled “Pride and Prejudice” which will open in June 2018--the same month as the Pride Parade in Chicago.The juror for this exhibit, Oli Rodriguez, is an interdisciplinary artist working in video, photography, performance and writing. Currently, he is faculty in the Photography Department at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). His projects conceptually intersect and dialogue within consent, queerness, childhood and sexuality. He curated the exhibition, The Great Refusal: Taking on New Queer Aesthetics at SAIC. He is a part of the monograph Confronting the Abject, named from his research themed class that he co-taught with Catherine Opie at SAIC. He just finished his book, The Papi Project, which archives the AIDS pandemic through his queer, POC family in Chicago during the 1980s. Rodriguez has screened, performed, lectured and exhibited his works internationally and nationally.  Oli Rodriguez will give a closing juror's talk on July 14.