In celebration of a milestone anniversary of the WVU LGBTQ+ Center, WVU Art in the Libraries will host a year-long exhibition highlighting the Center’s history, impact, and community, at the Evansdale Library. This exhibition will center lived experiences (with stories, objects, images, and ephemera), that reflect how the LGBTQ+ Center has shaped student life, fostered belonging, and advanced equity at West Virginia University.

The WVU LGBTQ+ Center, housed under the Office of Student Life, provides educational resources, programs, and services for WVU students, faculty, and staff. The Center is committed to creating a culture that advances education, healthcare, and prosperity for all through access, opportunity, high-impact research, and local-to-global engagement.

This exhibition invites current and former students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members to contribute materials that document and celebrate the Center’s presence at WVU, from its early days to the present.

What We Are Looking For

We welcome loaned materials that reflect experiences connected to the WVU LGBTQ+ Center, including but not limited to:

• Photographs (events, gatherings, Lavender Graduation, daily life)
  
• Personal stories or written reflections
  
• Clothing or textiles (e.g., shirts, sashes, accessories)
  
• Ephemera and objects (buttons, flyers, posters, zines, programs, knickknacks)
  
• Books, zines, or publications connected to the Center
  
• News articles or media documenting LGBTQ+ life at WVU
  
• Small artworks or creative responses
  

Materials may relate to the Center’s opening years or any period throughout its history.

Contributors may submit:

• Objects only
  
• Stories only
  
• Objects paired with a story
  
• Photos paired with context
  
• Combination
  

The exhibition may continue to grow during its run, with select opportunities to add materials while the exhibition is on view.

Key Dates & Timeline

• Call Opens: January / February 2026
  
• Submission Deadline: May 31, 2026
  
• Notification of Selection: June 30, 2026
  
• Object Drop-off / Shipping Window: July 1 – 15, 2026
  
• Installation: July 15 – 31, 2026
• Exhibition On View: August 2026 – May 2027 (TBC)
  

Exhibition Location

Evansdale Library (EVL)
Exhibit cases, Fall 2026 semester (duration to be confirmed: full academic year or half-year rotation).

How to Submit

All contributors must complete the online proposal form.

Proposal Form Will Include:

• Name 
  
• Preferred Credit Name for Exhibition + Pronouns
  
• Email address
  
• Affiliation with WVU (student, alumni, faculty, staff, community member, etc.)
  
• Item type (object, photo, story, or combination)
  
• Item description(s) including: dimensions and media, date or year associated with the ite, and how the item/story connects to the WVU LGBTQ+ Center
  
• Upload of image(s) (for objects or photographs) (up to 5 per submission)
  
• Short written reflection (optional but encouraged, prompts below)
  
• Shipping or drop-off preference
  
• Optional request for shipping cost support
  
• Acknowledgement of loan, insurance, and display conditions
  
• Consent and disclosure for sharing person al stories publicly
  
• Optional: WVU Research Repository Documentation Consent

Writing Prompt (Suggested):

• How did the LGBTQ+ Center impact your experience at WVU?
  
• What moment, program, or connection stands out most to you?
  
• How did the Center help you find community, support, or visibility?

Loans, Care and Logistics

• All materials are accepted as loans only.
  
• Objects must be available for the full exhibition period unless otherwise arranged.
  
• WVU Libraries’ holds insurance for value up to $1,000. Insurance forms can be filled out with provided loan forms. There is no gallery security, however objects will be in locked cases.
  
• Contributors are responsible for delivery unless shipping support is requested and approved.
  
• Drop-off location: Downtown Library or Evansdale Library, with specific dates provided upon acceptance.
  

Accessibility & Care

We recognize that sharing personal stories can be vulnerable. Contributors will be asked to review disclosure language and consent options, including how names, pronouns, or anonymity are handled in exhibition labels.

Review Process

Submissions will be reviewed in June 2026 by the WVU Art in the Libraries Committee in collaboration with the WVU LGBTQ+ Center. Selection will be based on relevance, clarity of connection to the Center, physical feasibility for display, and overall balance of voices and time periods.

Questions?

For questions about the exhibition or submission process, please contact WVU Art in the Libraries curator, Sally Jane Brown, sally.brown1@mail.wvu.edu.

We invite you to help tell the story of the WVU LGBTQ+ Center—through objects, memories, and moments that matter.