"Love Conquers All" group show @ Thinkspace (8/7)

‘Love Conquers All: Art for Equality’ Group show in our Main Gallery

Exhibit on view: August 7th – August 28th

Opening Reception: Sat, August 7th 7-10PM

20% of the proceeds will be donated to Equality California (http://www.eqca.org/)

Thinkspace is pleased to present Love Conquers All: Art For Equality, a special exhibition supporting the fight for equality which aims to raise awareness for the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender) struggle. This special exhibition features the work of over 50 international artists and promises to open eyes and encourage dialogue.

So, why are we fighting for civil rights? As of July 2010 multiple states have laws on the books that ban gay marriage by explicitly saying that marriage is a union between “a man and a woman.” In addition, at the Federal level, LGBT individuals have over 1,000 rights that aren’t afforded to them because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. They cannot serve our country in the military, cannot jointly file taxes, cannot have a foreign partner made into a legalized citizen, cannot receive death benefits, etc. As you can see, this isn’t only about marriage it’s also about being equally recognized by the government. The issues at hand are much larger than solely marriage.

We have to start somewhere in our fight for civil rights and historically the LGBT community has always had the world turned on its ear. Prop 8 served a purpose for those to define a government sanctioned marriage using a definition based on religion, they used gay marriage as a symbol of the undermining of family values and corruption of children and it served as a defining moment that they believed that Jim Crowe's “separate but not equal” did not apply to LGBT individuals. For LGBT individuals, it served as a bastion of hope, a light at the end of the tunnel that would usher in a new era of civil rights…an era that would bring a more tolerant, more accepting society.

The fight for equality is not just an LGBT fight; it is a fight for all society. There are many straight allies, like those of us here at Thinkspace and the numerous artists that are involved in Love Conquers All: Art For Equality, that want to see LGBT individuals have the same rights as them. That is why Thinkspace and its co-curators have decided that a portion of the proceeds will go to EQCA (Equality California), because in the past decade, EQCA has successfully passed more than 60 pieces of civil rights legislation for the LGBT community – more than any other statewide LGBT organization in the nation. Working in partnership with California’s LGBT Legislative Caucus, EQCA is committed to building a better future for all Californians by protecting youth, strengthening families and empowering communities.


Tran Nguyen's piece in progress for 'Love Conquers All'

Artists taking part include:

Adam Caldwell
Allison Sommers
Ana Bagayan
Anthony Clarkson
Anthony Ausgang
Aunia Kahn
Bob Dob
Brooke Grucella
Bumblebee
Caia Koopman
Cate Rangel
Chet Zar
Chris Murray
Craig ‘Skibs’ Barker
Dabs Myla
Dave Pressler
David MacDowell
Delphia
Derek Gores
Erik Siador
Ferris Plock
Genevive Zacconi
Germs
Harriet Lambers
Imminent Disaster
Jacub Gagnon
James ‘Dalek’ Marshall
Jeff Ramirez
Jen Lobo
Jenna Colby
Jesse Hotchkiss
John Michael Gill
John Park
Joseph ‘2H’ McSween
Josie Morway
Katy Bisby
Kelly Tunstall
Kelly Vivanco
Kevin Titzer
Laurie Lipton
Leontine Greenberg
Lesley Reppeteaux
Linnea Strid (Featured ad image above)
Liz Brizzi
Luke Kopycinski
Mari Inukai
Mark Dean Veca
Melanie Moore
Moniker
Naoto Hattori
NohJColey
Paul Barnes
Paul Chatem
Rene Gagnon
ROA
Scott Belcastro
Shaunna Peterson
Stella Im Hultberg
Tiffany Liu
Timothy Karpinski
Tony Philippou
Tran Nguyen

PLUS live painting from John Park on opening night

Take a 'Sneak Peek' at the work from 'Love Conquers All' coming together here:
www.flickr.com/photos/thinkspace/sets/72157624482555932/
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Laurie Lipton 'The Kiss' - graphite on paper

ABOUT EQUALITY CALIFORNIA:
Since it was founded in 1998, Equality California has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil rights protections in the nation.

EQCA works to achieve equality and secure legal protections for LGBT people. To improve the lives of LGBT Californians, EQCA sponsors legislation and coordinates efforts to ensure its passage, lobbies legislators and other policy makers, builds coalitions, develops community strength and empowers individuals and other organizations to engage in the political process. In the past decade, EQCA has successfully passed more than 60 pieces of civil rights legislation for the LGBT community – more than any other statewide LGBT organization in the nation. Each year at the Capitol, EQCA monitors thousands of bills and leads the state’s efforts to defeat legislation that could have a negative impact on LGBT Californians and their families.

EQCA, on behalf of its members, is an organizational plaintiff in the historic lawsuit asking the California Supreme Court to strike down state law that bars same-gender couples from marriage. In court, EQCA has also successfully defended California’s domestic partnership laws and related state policies that have been implemented in response to EQCA-sponsored legislation

Website:
www.eqca.org