Coming In, a selection of new works by Nell Pierce from their ongoing project Q’llage, will be on view in our main gallery space. Pierce’s Q’llage project springs from their own coming into queerness, and the solace and inspiration they have found in observing and writing about nature.
Beginning in 2019, Pierce interviewed 40 LGBTQ2IA+ people in their local community about their “Coming In” stories – how they have and continue to come into their truths around gender, sexuality, family, and love. Pierce listened for common practices people have used to stay true to themselves in the midst of social pressure and systemic violence. They then researched how those strategies of resilience are mirrored in the natural world, with support from others with plant knowledge. Collaborating with a local artist to lead outdoor movement workshops, Pierce then invited project participants to explore how themes emerging from the interviews lived in their bodies and the nature around them. Pierce intertwined images from the workshops, plant research, and their own reflections to create compositions for large-scale collages.
