“As a young person, the act of queering song lyrics, movies, and books was a survival skill I developed without knowing that others were, had been, and continue to use this coping mechanism to survive in a heteronormative world. For generations, discovering ones gay roots and figuring out how to exist has manifested for folks in a spectrum of ways, some more visible than others. There is no correct way to be queer and as we collectively learn about our often hidden and untold histories— the folks that came before us paving the way for our visibility today— it can uncover some surprises. Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You celebrates the queer gaze through contemporary visual art by bringing together national and Maine based queer artists working in a variety of mediums. Inspired and supported by the legacy of composer and artist Bob Crewe and his lifelong dedication to the arts, the exhibition amplifies the multitudes of ways queerness can exist. The works in the exhibition are markers of our collective survival; the visual fabric of our rage, resistance, healing, living dancing, singing, and breathing. ” — FAYTHE LEVINE