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CWRU students in local exhibit
Two current CWRU students and one recent alum are being celebrated in a unique art exhibit on display at the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, through January 30 (open from M-F, 10 am-8 pm).
Eddie Encarnacion (MSASS '25) and undergrads Roman Valine and Rachel Bhagat participated in the first cohort of Heroes Within, a new affirming initiative to support LGBTQ+ youth (age 6-24) from across the country. The unique storytelling collaboration begins when kids, teens and young adults share their stories during individual strengths-based interviews and reveal how they will make a positive difference in the world. Participants are then matched with digital illustrators who design their heroic alter egos based on their identities, ideas and photos. The artists are from diverse professional backgrounds, including animation, character design, concept art, and children's book illustration; the first cohort of 30 designers hail from 11 states and 8 different countries.
This new pantheon of superheroes has been collected into a joyful, vibrant, moving and meaningful touring exhibit. Visitors will be able to see Eddie, Roman and Rachel's superhero selves, read short character stories based on their ideas, discover their Words of Wisdom offered to kids younger than them, their peers, and adults, and experience a joyful vision of healing, resistance, and hope. There are 27 other posters in the current version of the exhibit and new ones will continue to be added as interviews are complete.
A virtual version of the Heroes Within exhibit has been launched online (https://www.superheroprojectkids.org/heroeswithin). This digital gallery allows youth in rural, isolated or unsupportive communities or homes to see how young people like them are being celebrated for their unique identities and hopes for the future. Knowing that they are not alone is a critical step in protecting the mental wellness of marginalized and vulnerable youth.
Heroes Within is an initiative of an Ohio-based nonprofit called The Superhero Project founded by Lisa Kollins, the former administrator of The Schubert Center for Child Studies and the Social Justice Institute at CWRU. The program and exhibit are sponsored by The Dr. Janet Silverstein Charitable Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, and Stonewall Community Foundation. Community partners include the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland and the animated film, "Maxxie LaWow: Drag Super-Shero."