The struggles of the LGBTQ community through activism will be honored during Ferndale Pride, Motor City Pride, Hotter Than July and Transgender Pride through the "Summer of Pride" exhibit June 1-July 28 at Affirmations' Pittman-Puckett Gallery, 290 W. Nine Mile Road in Ferndale.
"Our annual Pride Showcase is our most important exhibition for it represents the triumph of our community, our diverse but collective voice while also remembering our tragedies," said Heather Aymer, community resource coordinator at the community center.
"The Pittmann-Puckett Gallery is a memorial for two women murdered in an apparent hate crime. We honor their memory and their legacy of advocacy and the arts during Pride Season. We honor ourselves, our advances, our setbacks, but ultimately, we honor the we of us. Being us, everyone can connect to every piece in this show, for we delight in the many stories told, the many ways people speak. It's special for its normalizing us, a symbol of what we are capable."
Kenny Dorgan
Dorgan has been an abstract painter for almost 50 years using acrylics and watercolors. In the past year, his work has been on display in the Pittman-Puckett Gallery. "My creativity comes from my heart and soul it's a reflection of my authenticity and what comes from within," said Dorgan. "I love to hear people talk about what I have painted. For me when others talk about what they see I have been successful."
Maddie Adams
Adams is an emerging an emerging abstract artist working primarily with acrylics and oils. She is mainly self-taught and paints in an Expressionistic style. Some of her main influences are De Kooning, Pollock, and Frankenthaler.
"My artwork is deeply personal," said Adams. "I create art because I feel the need to express my existence. Rather than creating an illusion, I try to create a mirror for myself and the people who view my work."
