Swing by the Hutchinson Art Center during the Third Thursday celebrations to check out our newest exhibit, “Ugly Like Me” featuring photography by Julian Liby.

Artist bio: Julian Liby is a native of Hutchinson, Kansas, and is currently pursuing his Master of Arts in Communication from Wichita State University. The son of a professional photographer, Julian did not develop a passion for photography until he had moved out on his own for college, something his dad thought was oddly timed, but cool, nonetheless. Currently working as a full-time video producer for Wichita State's Office of Admissions, Julian enjoys film-making and photography in his spare time and hopes to pursue documentary film-making once he is free from his graduate school curriculum.

Exhibition Statement: I developed the idea for "Ugly Like Me" after receiving a particularly hideous Snapchat from my brother, where he was contorting his face into an expression that made him momentarily unrecognizable to me. The idea that I almost didn't recognize someone so familiar fascinated me, and I was drawn to the idea of capturing images of people twisting their faces into the ugliest expressions they could manage, and couple those images with smiling photos to see the dramatic range of human facial expressions.

This exhibition is meant to showcase not just the ugly, but also the beautiful in every individual, which is why each participant reflects on one thing they find ugly about themselves as well as one thing they find beautiful. I feel like it is easier for us to focus on the negative aspects of ourselves, which is why I wanted people to devote time to expressing their positives, too. By enjoying the images displayed here, my hope is that you not only learn something about each person exhibited, but also about yourselves!

On display June 16th - July 5th
NO OPENING RECEPTION