Femme Locale: SEEN | SCENE | CENE" — A Juried Exhibition

North Amherst, MA - The Mill District Local Art Gallery is proud to announce Femme Locale: SEEN | SCENE | CENE, a powerful group exhibition featuring the work of trans women, cis women, intersex, genderqueer, genderfluid, and non-binary artists living within Amherst and the local area. This juried show opens in The Front Window Gallery on Sunday, May 4, and runs through Thursday, June 26, 2025.

A public reception will be held Friday, May 9, 2025, from 5–7 PM, offering guests the opportunity to meet the artists, enjoy complimentary light refreshments, and experience the warm, inclusive community that defines this show. RSVP is encouraged.

Curated by Christine Texiera and Alexia Cota, the exhibition responds to the Thrive Together Network’s “Taking. Up. Space.” initiative—an annual call encouraging women to exhibit art during the same month. Artists were invited to create or select works inspired by the exhibition's title:

SEEN: exploring visibility, identity, and acts of representation;

SCENE: reflecting on place, environment, and cultural context;

CENE: invoking the suffix meaning “era,” a call to acknowledge the power of sustained change.

“In this moment, it is more important than ever to create space for underrepresented voices in the arts,” said Shannon Borrell, Gallery Coordinator. “This exhibit is a celebration of presence, resilience, and transformation.”

The show will be visible during store hours in The Front Window Gallery, with illumination at night for continuous viewing by those passing by after hours. The Mill District Local Art Gallery has generously donated both the gallery space and waived sales commission to fully support the artists and the spirit of the exhibition.

“One of the most vital ways we sustain ourselves is by building communities of resistance, places where we know we are not alone,” said bell hooks—a quote that anchors the vision for Femme Locale.

Join us in witnessing a deeply thoughtful collection of work that does more than ask to be seen—it insists that we engage, reflect, and stand together.

The Front Window Gallery is a community-focused exhibition space dedicated to providing year-round visibility for emerging and established artists. Located at 91 Cowls Road, North Amherst, MA, the gallery transforms storefront windows into an open-access arts experience for all passersby.

Event Address: 91 Cowls Road, Amherst, MA

Eventbrite Link: https://tinyurl.com/femmelocale2025