ENGENDERED SPECIES Exhibition: Call for Entries

In the current political climate, gender is clearly a dangerous and endangered species; just ask Governor Schwarzenegger who felt compelled to veto the single-sex marriage bill in the state of California. But if gender is something we “do” rather than simply are, then can we also “undo” it? What would a post-gender world be like?

We are calling for art that examines new ways of modeling gender complexity. We are less interested in gender as a “theme” than in gender as a critical discourse in crisis. Artwork that duels with the traditional dualisms of sex and gender by inviting a critical questioning of gender classifying systems is especially welcome, as are works that “do” or “undo” either the gendered body or gender as performance.

If your work maps new gender geographies (dangerous border crossers) or technologies (cyborgs) or simply makes a new fashion statement (what does cross-dressing mean today?), then consider your own position within the complex system we are labeling “Engendered Species.”

The exhibition was conceived and curated by students in two CSU Long Beach courses: an art history seminar class taught by Dr. Karen Kleinfelder in fall 2005, and a Museum Studies practice course to be taught by Victoria Bryan in the spring of 2006. The exhibit will be held in the Gatov gallery at CSU Long Beach from April 2nd to April 6th of 2006; then the show will travel to The Advocate Gallery, Hollywood, for five weeks from April 7th to May 13th.

All open call entries must be received by February 1st, 2006

For more information contact:
Dr. Karen Kleinfelder [dr.karenk@verizon.net; 562.694-3141]
or Victoria Bryan [victoriakb@aol.com]