Out Loud: Youth Workshop Exhibition

Experiencing the pressures of adolescence is difficult enough as it is. LGBTQ teens in particular experience harassment, bullying and social exclusion more often than their straight peers because of their sexual or gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.

Queer students, as well as those labeled as queer because they don’t conform to cultural expectations, face an onslaught of abuse for simply being who they are.

Out Loud addresses the need for positive educational and social experiences inclusive of sexual and gender minority youth. The workshop series took place over six weeks, during which the participants explored contemporary art through projects and lectures led by local artists and professionals. Out Loud presented a rare opportunity for LGBTQ students and their allies to access a community space where they can safely express themselves and openly discuss the struggles of being LGBTQ.

Each artwork in this exhibition was created by a participant of Out Loud as the capstone of their workshop experience. The students developed their own ideas and worked through creative challenges to bring the concepts to life. No longer children, but not quite adults, these teens voice distinct perspectives on understanding identity, confronting gender expectations, navigating societal and familial pressures, overturning stereotypes, and healing cultural trauma.

Created by the hands of those who are systematically silenced for being ‘different’ during an especially uncertain time in their lives, these artworks speak to both individual and universal experiences.