Sequin/ce
ORGANIZED BY JOY COTTON AND ASPEN MONET LABOY
JULY 12TH - AUGUST 23RD, 2024
Sequin/ce | ˈsēkwəns, ˈsēˌkwens
unified events, movements, and things that refract light in an iridescent effect
sequin
a small, shiny disk sewn as one of many onto clothing for decoration
sequence
a particular order in which related events, movements, or things follow each other
Sequin/ce, a community co-created collaborative project, positions queer JOY as a mode of resistance. Organized by Joy Cotton and Aspen M. Laboy in response to legislation that destabilizes and disenfranchises Nebraska’s LGBTQIA2S+ communities, Sequin/ce organizers collected photographs that visually interpret notions of queer joy through an open submission process. They then assembled the photographs, alongside photographs taken from the Queer Omaha Archives, into a large-scale collage that wraps the gallery space in a visual manifesto of collective power, enduring presence, and joyful resistance.
Installation Images
About the Artists
Joy Cotton is a mixed media artist living in Omaha. Joy uses a combination of pencil, acrylic, oil to create paintings and murals. She creates pieces that hold a great significance to personal emotions, like happiness, sadness, anger, and depression. The characters she makes depict different forms of fantasy and realistic figure drawings. These works contain multiple layers of textures and different types of painting applications. A graduate of University of Nebraska at Omaha Joy often works with other artists and organizations within the Omaha arts community. For the past two years she has worked on projects with Omaha Summer Arts Festival (OSAF), Benson First Fridays (BFF), and Midtown Crossing Sunny Chair project. Interacting, building relationships and collaborating with innovative individuals has shown her the interconnectedness of the art community. Through these interactions, observations, and personal projects she has continued to define and develop her artistry.
Aspen M. Laboy (they/them) is an interdisciplinary artist from Omaha, Nebraska working in poetry, glass sculpting, installation, and film photography. Exploring concepts of environmentalism, internal identity, and cultural heritage, they are influenced by nature, science, and philosophy. Aspen has three published books; “Spirit” (2017), “The Quiet Lion” (2018), and “I MATTER” (2022). They co-hosted the poetry workshop “Corner’s Space” at KANEKO and have performed poetry in various galleries. In 2023, several of their selected poems were aired on “Friday Live'' with Nebraska Public Media through NPR. Their work has been exhibited at MoonRise Gallery, Fleabane Gallery, Goldsmith Silversmith, LUX Center for the Arts, Generator Space, Family of Things, and Union Street Gallery. Currently, Aspen is one of the selected artists for the Alternate Currents Cohort through Amplify Arts. In addition, they were awarded a scholarship for Penland School of Craft to attend in Summer of 2024.