LGBTQ+ @Union: Stronger Together

February 28, 2022 – June 11, 2023

Victoria Donatacci (Class of 2023), The First Woman, 2019, pastel on paper, 9 ¾ x 6 7/8 inches

Although the 2020 LGBTQ+ @Union exhibition, set to celebrate the confluence of the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote, the 50th anniversary of women at Union College, and the 2020 Presidential Election, was derailed by the pandemic, the 2022-2023 edition of the exhibition not only explores ongoing, contemporary topics of the LGBTQ+ community, but also highlights the effects of the past two years on art-making practices, politics, culture, communities, and shaping identities. LGBTQ+ @Union: Stronger Together includes themes regarding transexual cultural inclusiveness, family pressures and coming-out deliberations, and moving past a binary construct of gender identity. The exhibition includes work in drawing and painting, illustration, photography, and poetry by current Union College students, alumni, and professors.

Although our experiences, backgrounds, and preferences may differ person to person, we can all acknowledge that loving someone and finding love, and who we are in the process, can be a struggle. Let’s celebrate the beauty and the importance of that struggle, together. We still have a long way to go, but we will continue the journey together. The more connections we make to those around us, the fuller our lives become. We strengthen our community by supporting all its members. Love is love.

““LGBTQ+” is an acronym used to refer to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, other gender identities and sexually diverse groups, and the ally community. The year 2022 will mark the ninth LGBTQ+ @Union exhibition, a tradition which began in 2008 and provides a platform for expression for students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Through shared experiences, members of the Union community continue to learn, grow, and bring awareness to the LGBTQ+ experience at Union College. The goals of the exhibition are to stimulate conversation, educate the campus community on the topic of LGBTQ+ life at Union, and provide an occasion for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies to share their perspectives.

The artists are: former Visiting Professor Elise Bouhet, Emma Calarco (’22), Victoria Donatacci (’23), Crystal Flax (’22), Albert Gilewicz (’75), and Professor Randy Wyatt.