Can joy be radical?
Art teacher Mr. Grosland explores this question in his multimedia exhibit entitled “A Happy Resistance.” The exhibit, which is centered around Mr. G’s experience identifying as trans and queer, is both a celebration of his artistic work as well as an introduction to him as Peddie’s newest visual arts faculty.
The idea to organize it came from Mr. Dale, the gallery’s curator and a member of the arts faculty. A reception was held on December 10 in the Peddie Arts Center, where the exhibit is located, along with a Q & A session led by Mr. Dale and four Honors Studio Art students.
“I’ve been playing recently with this idea of joy as being a form of resistance,” Mr. G said regarding the creative inspiration behind his exhibit. “When you’re in a marginalized community, a lot of times, activist work … comes from more of a negative place … but I think I just sort of got tired of being sad and angry,” he said.
Working with and seeing the work of activists has also inspired Mr G. “Sometimes the most powerful thing that happens is when [activists] are just happy … [and] get to reclaim that joy and that happiness … Because when the world is telling you [that] you can’t have that, suddenly, just being joyful or living your life becomes an act of resistance, right?”
He continued, “So my work recently has been really about joy. It’s been about play, getting back to sort of an innocent playfulness and joyfulness.” For example, one of the exhibit’s pieces is an enlarged chess set with a notecard that invites gallerygoers to sit down and play the game.
The pieces in “A Happy Resistance” are made from a diverse range of mediums, which reflects Mr. G’s multifaceted artistic expression. “I kind of try to find the medium that makes the most sense to tell that story, to make that thing,” he remarked of his creative process. Ceramics, paintings, recycled art, drawings and more all take a turn in the spotlight in his exhibit. Additionally, Mr. G is always looking for ways to expand his artistic horizons. “I’m constantly learning new mediums, learning new techniques, because I just find it really exciting … [I’m] a perpetual student in that way,” he observed.
Although this year marks Mr. G’s first year as an official Peddie faculty member, he has been working closely with the Arts Department for many years, designing the sets for Peddie’s theater productions and leading a crew of students to help bring his visions to life. In this way, Mr. G believes that teaching has always been in the cards as a potential career path: “It kind of goes hand in hand, being in the arts and teaching,” he explained. “I’d always done it, but never full-time. And so when the position opened up here, I was like, should I apply?”
Now, Mr. G teaches Visual Arts Foundations and senior Honors Studio Art, as well as various single-term art electives, including drawing, sculpture and mixed media classes. He has also joined Spectrum, Peddie’s affinity group for LGBTQIA+ members of the community, and is a supervisor in Trask Dormitory. Mr. G still remains at the forefront of Peddie’s stagecraft, serving as the theater’s set designer and assistant technical director.
Before working in scenic design, Mr. G studied in St. Louis at Washington University’s art school, majoring in graphic design and illustration. He also chose to pick up a second major: dance. “I ended up spending a lot more time in the theater department than I had intended,” he said, laughing.
After graduating, Mr. G took on acting and dancing jobs and opened an independent graphic design business, where he worked mostly for professional theaters and dance companies. However, he came to realize that the career he’d chosen felt isolating. “I didn’t love graphic design,” he confessed. “It was just me and a computer … I wanted more human interactions.”
Being involved in the world of theater led him to take up scenic design around 7-8 years ago. He eventually found his way to Peddie, and has since become deeply immersed in the school community.
“Peddie is this lovely place where I feel totally accepted and totally welcome for who I am,” Mr. G said. “I think that there’s a safety here that’s really nice.”
As time goes on, Mr. G wants to become a role model for other queer members in the community. “I’m just kind of hoping I can be an adult that is out and open and honest and happy,” he said. “I think that, for me, that’s gonna be kind of the greatest thing I’ll get to do here.”
