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Chicago, IL — Beginning on June 5 through July 5, 2009, Center on Halsted will begin holding its two art gallery exhibits simultaneously. The opening night for both gallery exhibits will be held on Friday, June 5, 2009, 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM, in the 2nd and 3rd Floor art galleries at Center on Halsted, located at 3656 N. Halsted in Chicago.

The Center's 3rd Floor Gallery will feature artist Christa Lohman's show titled

Love = Love: Protesting Prop 8. Ms. Lohman explains her motivation for the exhibit; "California's Proposition 8 was a step backward in the fight for equal marriage rights. This photo essay depicting scenes from the November 15, 2008 protest rally in downtown Chicago hopes to inspire its viewers to take action within their communities to secure equal rights for all citizens."

The Center's 2nd Floor Gallery will feature artist Doug Smithenry's show titled Coming Out on Line. Smithenry is a visual artist who chronicles Internet culture through his paintings. Among the hundreds of thousands of videos uploaded to YouTube daily, some gay teens are doing something unique that previous generations of gay people might have considered unthinkable: they are staring into webcams and outing themselves online. Doug Smithenry has transformed these online testimonials into an installation of paintings titled Coming Out Online. This exhibition literally waves the colors of gay pride as it reflects and celebrates how the Internet has provided a sense of community for isolated gay youth. It also reveals how the Internet has helped gay adolescents, regardless of geographical boundaries, to (a) discover that they are not alone, (b) label their feelings and figure out who they are, and (c) experience normative developmental milestones that gay adolescents historically repress before coming out later in life. 

Complimentary hors d'oeuvres will be generously provided by Joey's Brickhouse (www.enterthechef.com). A cash bar will be available. $5 suggested donation (at door) to support future cultural programming at Center on Halsted. The donation will avail access to both the 2nd and 3rd Floor Gallery openings.  ..

For more information, please email culture@centeronhalsted.org or call 773-661-0763.

For more information on Center on Halsted, please visit our website, www.centeronhalsted.org.

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