Exhibitions 2025: Being Seen: Celebrating SouthCoast Pride

September 24 - October 30, 2025 | Reception: Wednesday, October 8, 5-7 PM

Reception: Wednesday, October 8, 5-7 pm
Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday 10 am-5 pm, Thursdays open until 7 pm, Saturday 12-4 pm
All events are free and open to the public. Parking during regular Gallery Hours: lots 5, 14, and 18

CVPA Campus Gallery is pleased to present the exhibition, Being Seen: Celebrating SouthCoast Pride by Massachusetts Design Art and Technology Institute (DATMA). The show consists of a temporary public art installation and gallery exhibition honoring the LGBTQIA+ community. A reception will be held on Wednesday, October 8, from 5-7 pm in the CVPA Campus Gallery, located on the first floor of the CVPA building at 285 Old Westport Road, Dartmouth, MA 02747. Visitor parking for the reception only is in lot 5, 6, 8A, & 8. This reception is free and open to the public and will feature special guest speakers, as well as several contributing artists.

The exhibition will fill not only the gallery, but will span the atrium of the UMass Dartmouth College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) building showcasing the work created collaboratively with UMass Dartmouth students, alumni, and more than hundred SouthCoast residents and organizations. CVPA's contributing faculty includes Paula Stebbins Becker, Aleta Deyo, Serra Fels, Lara Henderson, Ann Kim, Rob Millard-Mendez, and visiting artist Lu Xu. DATMA collaborated with New York–based textile artist and activist Liz Collins who served as the creative director who guided the project. While the base of each triangular segment came from upcycled boat sails and textiles, each of them is completely unique, bringing together vibrant design and visual storytelling to celebrate LGBTQIA+ identity and visibility to embody allyship, creativity, and collective pride. Additionally, these colorful panels will be featured on the facade of the CVPA building from the quad side between September 30 through October 10.

Reflecting on the inaugural installation of “Being Seen” at New Bedford City Hall, Liz Collins expressed, “I loved working with the group – connecting with and diving immediately into collaboration with such a motivated and interesting group of people who were all in. It was really great to see people from cultural and creative organizations in the city showing up to do the work. Impressive!”

A companion gallery exhibition expands on the public artwork with a salon-style presentation of LGBTQIA+ artists curated by UMass Dartmouth alumna Kate Frazer Rego and a history and key figures of the Pride movement in SouthCoast MA. Highlights include New Bedford resident David B. Boyce (1949–2014), represented in George Segal’s Gay Liberation Monument, and SouthCoast leaders who fought for marriage equality and greater LGBTQIA+ visibility in Massachusetts.

CVPA Associate Dean Ann Kim explained the importance of the process: "This work offers students a rare and powerful opportunity to engage with the community through public art, both as makers and community collaborators. Students learn how to design large-scale projects and work with a wide range of stakeholders and organizations, all while experiencing the powerful impact of art and collaboration in public spaces."

At its heart, Being Seen celebrates the quiet power of local and student activism and the ways art helps communities tell their stories, uplift each other, and make space for change. It centers on artists, advocates, and everyday heroes whose creativity continues to inspire.

First unveiled at New Bedford’s Pride Block Party in June 2025 when it covered the entire front facade of New Bedford City Hall and was also displayed at Gallery X and the Steeple Playhouse. After the exhibition leaves UMass Dartmouth, it will continue to travel throughout the SouthCoast including venues such as; the Marion Art Center in February 2026 and Fall River in summer 2026. 

The exhibition Being Seen: Celebrating SouthCoast Pride was made possible by the generous support of the New Bedford Office of Tourism, Explore New Bedford, a critical partner for the arts and culture community. Additional funding for the artwork was provided by the New Bedford Economic Development Council's New Bedford Creative grant program, called the Wicked Cool Places, with print support from First Citizens Credit Union.

Massachusetts Design Art and Technology Institute (DATMA)
The Massachusetts Design Art and Technology Institute (DATMA) produces public art, exhibitions, and educational experiences. DATMA was founded to enhance the evolving dynamic cultural and economic life of Southcoast Massachusetts. DATMA is committed to bringing world-renowned art, design, and technology exhibitions, programs, and initiatives to the visitors and citizens of New Bedford and the region, identified as one of the Commonwealth’s most creative economies by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.