Free. Registration not required.

If you need accessibility accommodations, please contact us in advance at [email protected] or fill out the accessibility request form.

Queer Art Fest Pop-Up Gallery Artists

This event includes a pop-up gallery featuring local queer artists Ren Rogers (photography), Emil Wiersma (paint, print), and Murry Foust (ceramics, sculpture).

Ren Rogers (any pronouns) — Ren Rogers is a dynamic artist and flawed human being, like us all. They developed their political praxis in the heart of Cincinnati and found solace in the determination to build a better future for the masses. By blending techniques of photography and multimedia, Rogers creates physical artworks with the intention of sharing their lived experience of finding joy through community organization and collective grief.

“What could we become without the ego of control over that which we cannot change, but fueled with the courage to change that which we can?

Emil Wiersma (he/they) — Cincinnati painter and printmaker Emil Wiersma has been honing his skills in figurative painting and reduction woodcuts for the past several years. Wiersma graduated from Miami University in 2022 with a B.F.A. in painting and printmaking. He is the current Artist in Residence at Tiger Lily Press and was previously selected as one of their Urban Printmaking Fellows.  Wiersma also volunteers weekly as a moderator at the Manifest Drawing Center’s open figure sessions since March 2024.  

“My work is an extension of myself and my drive to capture the intimacy of the human body. When facing the mirror, I am petrified of how it is perceived by others. We are all forced to navigate this world in a body that is defined by limited edges. Through my work I challenge the same dysphoria and dysmorphia that has distorted my own image for years by turning to individuals around me for the beauty I seek to afford in myself”

  
Murry Foust — Murry Foust was a 2026 NKU graduate with an emphasis on ceramics, sculpture, and painting. In their art, Foust found a way to express themself and overcome personal differences. He said creation had become their entire being. Past exhibitions featuring the artist include the BFA Exhibition, NKU, the 2024 Solo Progress Show, Boxelder Community Room, and the 2024 Funeral Fest, The Cage.

Murry Foust, whose body was recently found after a multi-week search, had signed on to be part of Queer Art Fest in January, prior to their disappearance. At the request of their family, a selection of Murry’s works, chosen by the family, will be on view as part of this pop-up gallery. Murry's family intends to set up a scholarship fund in their name. Proceeds from the sale of Murry's works will go toward this fund. Those interested in making a purchase of the displayed works can provide their information at the event, and CAM will share with Murry's family for next steps. There will also be a Community Loom activity led by Art for Murry. Everyone is invited to weave fabrics into the loom and create art and community in honor of Murry.