Fluid Gaze

516 ARTS, the non-collecting contemporary gallery in Downtown is presenting Fluid Gaze, its new Fall/Winter exhibition curated by Rachelle B. Pablo (Diné). The exhibit will feature 11 artists from various creative practices and 2SLGBTQIA+ identities and involving Indigenous, non-Indigenous, and Latinx perspectives. Exhibiting artists include sheri crider & Obie Weathers, III, Adri De La Cruz, Amanda Curreri & claudia hermano, Harmony Hammond, Sam Kirk, Lehuauakea (māhū mixed-Native Hawaiian Kānaka Maoli), Gabriel Maestas, Jenny Irene Miller (Inupiaq), Roin Morigeau (Bitterroot Salish Flathead Nation/French], José Villalobos and Zefren-M (Navajo). The exhibition opens to the public on Saturday, September 30, 2023, and will be on view through December 30, 2023.

The opening reception on September 30th will feature a special live performance art piece, Deeply Rooted, Cultured and Silenced, from exhibiting artist José Villalobos at 6:30 p.m. Villalobos’ work transforms the macho uniform of the vaquero (cowboy) through playful and provocative installations and performances.

The opening reception will also host DJ Anjo King and a cash bar provided by

Brew Lab 101.

516 ARTS curator Rachelle B. Pablo developed Fluid Gaze as a response to today’s social climate by addressing the subtleties of gender expression through contemporary artistic practices. “In these works, fluidity is a metaphor conveyed through various mediums and a range of material cultures,” reads Pablo’s statement.

Lehuauakea is a māhū mixed-Native Hawaiian artist from Pāpa’ikou on Moku O Keawe, the Big Island of Hawai’i. Through their kapa (bark cloth) pieces, they employ the repetition of geometric forms that are imbued with symbolism and unique color schemes, “...blurring the line between seemingly established binaries.” Chicago based artist Sam Kirk celebrates the differences across various intersections, calling on vibrant color palettes for multi-toned figures and portraits of members of her community.

The artists in Fluid Gaze, who highlight the fluidity of experience, identity, and expression, represent a mix of emerging, mid-career, and established artists—including

Harmony Hammond, whose career-spanning commitment and dedication to feminist and queer art has had a long-lasting impact. Together, these artists invite viewers to consider the layers of experience and context that shape queer identities today.

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PUBLIC PROGRAMS INCLUDE:

Oct. 7: SCREENING: Who They Are: Queer Short Cinema - 516 ARTS is partnering with the Way OUT Fest Film Festival for an evening of curated short films at The Guild Cinema, 6:30pm, $12 General/$10 Members.

Oct. 21: PUBLIC FORUM: Shapeshift: Assimilating as Self-Preservation - Alexis Salas, PhD, Estevan Rael-Gálvez, PhD, and exhibiting artist Lehuauakea.

Oct. 26: POETRY: 516 WORDS: Queer in Color, a reading curated by acclaimed poet J. Gourdin, co-presented with UNM True Colors and partners.

Nov. 4: WORKSHOP: TNET #101: Transgender Cultural Fluency training - free and open to the public.