A cross-generational LGBT art project is gaining unprecedented exposure, as local billboards and bus shelters are now carrying images from the groundbreaking effort.
“Showing Face” is the result of a collaborative initiative among youth from The Attic Youth Center and seniors from the John C. Anderson Apartments. The official dedication of the project took place June 24 at JCAA.
The project was made possible by The Mural Arts Program, along with The Attic, JCAA, William Way LGBT Community Center, the city’s Department of Human Services, Dr. Magnus Hirschfield Fund and Clear Channel.
“This is a cross-generational project that fosters a conversation, dialogue and discourse between two often-disconnected groups in the LGBT community — seniors and young people,” said Mural Arts executive director Jane Golden. “Participants were able to talk about their history and obstacles and how they were overcome. This project shines a light on their stories and presents them in a way the whole city can see.”
Golden said the idea for the project was inspired by the popular and similarly large-scale Mural Arts “Love Letters” series.
“We always envisioned displaying the project like a ‘campaign,’ but it was never feasible until an unplanned conversation with Clear Channel,” Golden said.
During a call to discuss unrelated business, Golden said, she mentioned the idea to Clear Channel and they were interested immediately.
“They came in and we had a meeting and they made a very generous donation for the billboards,” Golden said. “Now, participants and the LGBT community at large can see themselves reflected in public space. We at Mural Arts believe this the perfect example of our mission of ‘art as social change’ in action.”
According to Golden, the idea also resonated instantly with William Way and other organizations that became partners of the project.
“We’ve had a long-standing relationship with the center since we did the mural there, and there was the connection with [dmhFund president] Mark [Segal] and JCAA. Everyone just got on board right away with this,” Golden said. “It’s really important for Mural Arts to be responsive, value-adding and collaborative partners in the community.”
Artists Ashley Kolodner and Brandon Dean were chosen to helm the project, which is expected to run for a few months.
Kolodner guided participants through a series of empowering workshops that aimed to bridge the two generations and help them explore identity and envision a more accepting future.
Kolodner had students at The Attic create their own wallpaper-like sheets that would become the backdrop for their photo portraits. She also photographed JCAA residents. Each photo session was comprised of two portraits: one with the subjects’ eyes closed and the second with eyes open.
Dean led workshops with seniors at JCAA in which he helped residents and students create zines that recorded the conversations among the two generations. A “master zine” was created that contained all of the participants’ work and will be mass-produced and distributed as a companion to the portrait series.
For more information, including behind-the-scenes photos from the project workshops, visit www.muralarts.org/showingface.