The Allegheny College Art Galleries will present an exhibit titled “Rough Trade” in Doane Hall from January 23 through March 4, with opening ceremonies on Tuesday, January 23, at 7 p.m.
This exhibition will revolve around the word “trade,” exploring its meanings and preconceptions. The exhibit will explore male sexuality, queer art theory, non-normative identities, power play, desire, and the allure of risky assignations.
The curator and head of the Art Department, Darren Miller, says, “With any furtive encounter, there is a danger of being taken advantage of, stereotyped, or outed, yet the potential rewards of trade seem to outweigh the risks. This exhibition challenges the notion that trade is necessarily a reductive power play.”
Many of the artists’ works were made using traditional methods, including ceramic sculptures. The artists include Mark Burns, Jeremy Brooks, Wesley Harvey, Ryan Wilson Kelly, Kathy King, Howard Kottler, Matt Nolen, Anne Drew Potter, Anthony Sonnenberg, Caitlin Rose Sweet, H.M. Thompson, and Triesch Volker. This exhibition is supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The reception and the exhibit are free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday 12:30 to 4 p.m.; Saturday, 1:30 to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m. The galleries are closed on Mondays.