‘I Am What I Am’ | A celebration of queer artists at Ballina Arts Centre

I Am What I Am opens Saturday June 05th at 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 Sinéad Keogh, this exhibition 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.

‘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 on one another through the creative process of making and experiencing art’

The exhibition runs from June 05^th to July 31^st.

View the accompanying exhibition catalogue I am What I am

JUNE EVENTS

The following programme of events will take place during the month of June.

 Monday June 14

 An audio tour for people who are blind or visually impaired will be released on http://www.ballinaartscentre.com/

A video of The LGBTI+ Living Archives Project (NMI) will be released on

http://www.ballinaartscentre.com/

Saturday June 19

 12 – 1:  Curator Seán Kissane online lecture on Queer Histories and 20^th Century LGBTQ+ art

2 – 3.30:  A special online tour for OutWest, their friends and family

Saturday June 26

 12 – 2:  Sara R. Phillips online talk Irish Trans Archive – The History of the Trans Community in Ireland 2016 to today

Booking for all events at https://ballinaartscentre.ticketsolve.com/shows

For queries contact mayoarts@mayococo.ie 

Further events will take place throughout the month of July and further details will be available in due course.

 This award is an initiative of Mayo County Council in partnership with the Arts Council of Ireland with support from the Creative Ireland Programme

Cover Image: Esther Raquel Minsky

Photo Credit: Egidio Pandoldo