Mayo Arts Service in partnership with Creative Ireland is proud to present 'I am What I am', an exhibition celebrating gender and identity in Ballina Arts Centre
'I Am What I Am' is a nuanced celebration of queer artists who work with gender, sexuality, identity and queer politics curated by Sinead Keogh. Sinead was the recipient of the Cultural Diversity Curatorial Award, an initiative of Mayo County Council Arts supported by Creative Ireland. The exhibition, housed in Ballina Arts Centre, will bring together artists from all backgrounds to unite in a diverse exploration of queer art in Ireland today.
The title hails from the song finale in the 1983 Broadway musical La Cage aux Folles written and composed by queer writer Jerry Herman. The song was covered by Gloria Gaynor that same year and has been an empowerment anthem for the LGBTQ+ community ever since. 'I Am what I Am' is a stronghold in the form of resistance against adversity in an ever-evolving and dissolving world.
Sinead said of the work; "The curatorial process was to engage, understand and listen to the vast array of cultural practitioners and members of the community involved in the programme. It provided the opportunity to talk to them about their historical relationships and one another, the state and indeed their own relationship with art and to bring them all together with a sense of unity. To celebrate and enrich the lives of one another through the creative process of making and experiencing art."
The exhibition runs until July 31. A programme of online talks and events will take place online throughout the month of June. A further schedule of events for July will be published in due course. For information contact [email protected] or visit www.ballinaartscentre.com for bookings. This initiative is strategically funded by Mayo County Council and the Arts Council with support from Creative Ireland.
