Gaze: A Black Queer Art Exhibition
Work by Lewis H. Foster, photo credits Blake Pipes
The Bakery Atlanta proudly presented GAZE, a group exhibition showcasing work by artists who identify as Black and part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
The exhibition was on view Saturday, June 20th through Sunday, June 28th at The Supermarket (638 North Highland Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30306). The closing reception was on Sunday June 28th from 12pm-4pm and featured artist talks.
Featured Artists:
Lewis H. Foster, Maia Helvy, Abby, Isi Lou Buckley, Cameron White, Victoria Hagood, Maya Evans, K. Gilbert, Lyte Hill
When I stepped into my role as Exhibitions Manager, one of my biggest goals was to bring new and diverse perspective into the space. In June I originally wanted to do a show centered around Juneteenth. I then realized it was also pride month and saw an opportunity to showcase intersectional identities through the work of black queer artists. As a black queer artist myself it felt exciting to be able to work artists in my direct community.
I was heavily Inspired by my friend Kaylah Hagler who had created and curated a show series called Young Hot Ebony: an all black womxn show. Through working with Hagler and showing my own work in these exhibitions it became clear to me that spaces like these were needed and had to be intentionally created.
I was able to invite artists whose work I wanted to showcase. From a curation standpoint I did not want to censor the work of the artists selected so I let them choose up to three pieces to automatically be in the show. Dealing with such a historically underrepresented group I wanted to create as much freedom in the space as possible.
When it came time to curate the physical space the work felt very serenpiditious and the install felt very intuitive. I was especially happy with the mix of mediums in the work from Isi Lou Buckley’s captivating photography to Victoria Hagood’s unique anthropomorphic sculptures to Lewis H. Foster’s ornate collage work.
The show also included a variety of digital work that allowed audiences to engage both visually and auditorily. Lyte Hill’s work featured a projected digital photo with an audio recording- her statement about the work I felt greatly encapsulated the show’s subject matter.
Lyte Hill, We Were on East Capitol, 2024, Digital Photo/ Projection/ Audio Recording
Hill Stated: “This digital photo was taken September 14th 2024, paired with an audio recording of Aaryn Lang on the steps of the Supreme Court for, what will go down in history as, The Gender Liberation March! My work exists as a call back to our grade school education. The lost history of liberation and rebellious movements before our lifetime. The lack of representation, the censored imagery, the preselected events. That distant estranged feeling we feel for history is intentional. How Black, Indigenous and queer revolution has been suppressed was calculated and it’s been working. but there has always been inspiration to be found in that history and in our search for the truth. In kind my work captures our truth and honors our communities in the present, despite suppression! I aim to emphasize the impact that seeing oneself in something greater can turn a lonely struggle into a bigger more beautiful picture.”
At the closing reception artist were given the opportunity to talk about their work - their messaging, inspirations, and experiences all playing a part in the creation of the show. I felt there was a great sense of catharsis in the air. The audience was extremely receptive and engaged with the artists as they shared pieces of themselves.
My hope with any show but especially this one was to give these artists a sense of empowerment to keep creating and showing work authentic to their experiences and identities. This show so far as been my biggest accomplishment during my time as the Exhibitions Manager. I can only hope to continue to carve out opportunities for artist such as those featured in GAZE.
To learn more about the art and the artists check out the Digital Catalogue and Artist Talks!