It has been a queer few months for the country, and Ballina Arts Centre is lining up a suitably-apt public art display to mark its reopening this Saturday following the protracted lockdown!
Gay composer and lyricist Jerry Herman has inspired the title of the exciting new visual art exhibition, called I Am What I Am, which sees the welcome return of this most important arts facility.
The title of the exhibition hails from the finale of the 1983 Broadway musical La Cage aux Folles written by Jerry Herman. The song was covered by Gloria Gaynor that same year and has been an empowerment anthem for the LGBTQ+ community ever since
Curated by Sinead Keogh, I Am What I Am is a nuanced celebration of queer artists who work with gender, sexuality, identity and queer politics. The exhibition is a stronghold in the form of resistance against adversity in an ever evolving and dissolving world.
I Am What I Am, presented in partnership with Mayo County Council Arts Office, will bring together artists from all backgrounds to unite in a diverse exploration of queer art in Ireland today.
“We are delighted to be opening up again after so long,” said Sean Walsh, Director of Ballina Arts Centre.
“We all hope that this is the beginning of the return to normal. It has been a long period of closure and has affected the entire arts sector quite devastatingly. Artists have been among the hardest hit by this pandemic and I hope that they now have a chance to resume their working lives”.
“We are delighted to be opening with such a strong exhibition. Sinead Keogh has done a fantastic job on curating an excellent exhibition and programme of events. It gives us a welcome opportunity to pick up where we left off.”
The exhibition will run from Saturday 5th June until Saturday 31st July.
More information on www.ballinaartscentre.com
