DEAFhood: Reflections on Identity and Deaf Culture

—A Group Exhibition—

Opening reception November 3rd from 6-8PM
Belltown Art Walk reception November 11th, from 6-9PM
Closing reception December 2nd from 5-8PM

Gallery hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 11-5

(closed Nov 23rd - 25th for Thanksgiving)

Amelia Milling

“I am a nomadic storyteller with a burning passion for exploring and creating impactful art that pushes the world to become more inclusive. Authenticity is always an essential element that I include in my work to create a visually compelling message. The message itself is as important as the design and appearance, which is often untraditional and diverse. I am always eager to leap into the unknown, whether that might be a hot desert, cool rainforest, or a peak of a snowy mountain. My approach to creating memorable adventures is quite similar to how I approach my design and photography strategy. While I certainly enjoy creating landscape or outdoorsy artworks, I feel the most drawn to creating thought-provoking bodyworks related to deafness and/or audism since it is much more urgent.”

Aistė Rye

As a Deaf-Queer woman, raised in post-Soviet Lithuania but coming of age in America, I engage with the world from a position that transcends multiple cultural binaries. My artwork is informed by my experiences navigating an able-bodied, homophobic, and patriarchal society, and seeks to challenge assumptions about feminism and the Deaf experience. My intention to curate DEAFhood: Reflections on identity and Deaf culture derived from the exploration of my own Deaf identity after many years of navigating the mainstream world as a person with hearing loss. The dreamlike paintings in this exhibition intend to take the audience on spiritual journeys into the surreal, inviting viewers to return to the ultimate path: the journey into ourselves.

Toby Fitch

The world of photography is a unique playground of light that can be manipulated, or captured in it’s raw beauty. Light, in it’s raw form at all wavelengths, is a source of power, enlightenment, and shapes our world in how we interpret it through color. Light paints the rich color of life throughout the world as we know it so….let’s play with it!

Brad Thornberry

Brad’s resistant artwork heavily focuses on his experience navigating through both deaf and hearing worlds. he wants to capture the clashes between two cultures and their histories.

Jerry Becker Steffen Jr.

“I used to paint over hundreds of watercolor paintings at Pike Place Market for 12 years from year 2000 to 2012 then I had neck & low back fusion surgeries. I am no longer able to focus on watercolor. I have over 300 original watercolor paintings that sleep in my closet. About 4 years ago I began to focus on 3D paper cutting. Then I feel very comforted, excited, peaceful, joyful. I spend lot of time with my 3D paper cutting. Love it.”

Tommy Fuglestad

“I came from the side of my family with passion of painting for artwork. When I was a kid, I loved drawing and painting. I started college to pursue an art degree. I decided to do pouring painting and sell the poured paint art pieces to help with my college fund. During my visit to my grandma down in Portland, I tried something new that my grandma showed me with the pouring paint, and I fell in love with it.”

Paul Scearce

“I'm a well-known Deaf artist who created full book covers for Dr. Paddy Ladd's new 2 volumes books, The Songs of Deafhood. After I got my first DSLR camera, I taught myself light painting. What is light painting? It is a photographic technique of moving a light source while taking a long exposure photograph. You can draw and create new imagery within your photograph using light photography. Becoming a photographer and artist helped me a lot with my sobriety and conquering my fears. Finally, I got sober for good since August 8th 2014! Still breakin’ new records daily. This is my story.”

Jennifer Harris

As a young girl, Jennifer discovered her deep passion for art and architecture. Her mother (a former art teacher) was the one who inspired her to pursue her dreams in art and architecture. Her travels and personal research have enhanced her knowledge base, increased her passion, and impacted her personal philosophy.

Kimi Hager

“I’m inspired as a Deaf-Blind person to focus my art on feeling and touch. I primarily want to show how feeling and touch inspires me so I create artwork with a variety of media. An aesthetic style with repeating and swirling patterns. To bring that pattern though the act of touch, I used the various materials—often woods, beads, fabrics, papers, paints, wires, clays, and dimensional fabric paints.”

Gabriella Duncan

In spite of limiting illness, physical disabilities, hearing loss and homelessness, art seems to bring Gabriella to life, in many ways and she always manages, accomplishes her goals. Her education and life’s journey has led her to be a fierce advocate for human rights and many issues that those on the margins face. More specifically women. Numerous radio shows, storytelling and news casts have also told her story. She raised treatment foster children, while she taught as a substitute teacher as well as teaching music, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her works are published in various articles, digital papers and radio shows, as well as, documentaries in two different states.

Jena Floyd

“I’ve always been fascinated with the simplicity of lines, dividing negative and filled spaces. I’m also intrigued by usage of colors as they can be signified as emotions, intensifying any messages that I hope to convey to you through my creative work. Lately based on my recent works, I notice I tend to lean towards simplicity while dealing with issues that may seem complicated and political such as audism, Deafhood, accessibility, social justice, intersectionality, oppression, and discrimination. Simplicity is akin to having common sense — that any Deaf person’s identities and intelligence shouldn’t be questioned or underestimated by the mainstream society, a.k.a the overly audio-oriented world. Some of my works do celebrate our Deaf culture, our usage of American Sign Language, and our existence as Deaf people on earth. Lastly, I hope that my works leave a lasting impression on people who seek to understand Deaf people, Deaf culture, and American Sign Language.”

Thanks to our sponsors for making this possible!