William Way art gallery hosts group-show winners

By Jen Colletta
PGN Staff Writer
© Philadelphia Gay News

Three local LGBT artists will exhibit their unique photography, printmaking and oil paintings at the William Way LGBT Community Center beginning tonight.

Leigha Cohen, Helen Wortham and Jules, winners of the group-show prize in the center’s third annual Juried Art Competition, will be on hand for the opening reception of the show at 8 tonight at the center, 1315 Spruce St. The exhibit will run until Sept. 26 in the center’s lobby.

Twenty-three artists entered their work for consideration in the competition; in addition to the group-show winners, Ron Weisberg was chosen for a solo exhibit, which will be on display Nov. 10-Dec. 26.

Local artist John Caperton evaluated the entered pieces and chose the winners.

Cohen, a native of New York, will exhibit several pieces of her photography. She said she usually does a lot of nature shots and portraits, but that for the William Way show she wanted to display something more personal.

“One of the things that I don’t usually have the opportunity to do is something that relates to my being a lesbian,” Cohen said. “I have a still life that presents my view of lesbianism and a lot of the others are more of a self-portrait of my own journey coming to terms with my sexuality.”

Wortham, who focuses on oil painting on canvas, will present some figurative pieces, such as nudes and busts, as well as some landscapes.

She noted that she is eager for her work to evoke an emotional response from the audience.

“I hope people like the mood they see in the paintings,” Wortham said. “It might not necessarily be the mood I was in when I painted it, but I think looking at it can remind them of an emotion that they’ve had.”

Jules’ art adds another unique dimension to the show, as she creates relief and monotype printmaking.

“If I start from a drawing, then cut the design in wood and finish with a print on paper or cloth, I have actually created three pieces of art, each with their own perspective on the original idea,” she said.

Although it was a coincidence that the three group-show winners are all females, Cohen said she hopes her pieces give a voice to the women in the LGBT community, who she believes are often underrepresented.

“I think that people can see a mixture of the person that I am through my photography,” Cohen said. “When I went to the last show at William Way, I saw a lot of penises in the art, and I think in a lot of community centers around the country the male population kind of dominates. I hope that I can kind of show the other side.”

Candice Thompson, director of center services at William Way, said she’s eager for the venue to have a hand in exhibiting the diverse, original artwork by members of the local LGBT community.

“I’m always excited about new shows,” she said. “It’s really thrilling to witness the talent that’s in our LGBT community here in the Philadelphia area and to have the center be a part of that.”

Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.