What was the loneliest you have ever felt?
Growing up as a gay kid in the ‘90s, Alex Girard, chair of the Art and Design Department, experienced feelings of isolation and loneliness he would never want anyone else to feel. Because of this, he has set out to create a sanctuary space within his department that welcomes and celebrates all who are interested in creative exploration and launching a career in the arts — especially students who identify as LGBTQ+.
Recalling his own experience figuring out who he was during college, Girard says, “The coming out process was difficult for me as a gay kid living in Iowa in the ‘90s – depression often kept me in my dorm room wishing I was someone else.” He says that because this all happened in the “dark ages before cell phones,” it was much more challenging to find community, or even to know “what it looked like to be a contributing member of society as a gay male.”
It was also during that time that President Bill Clinton introduced the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy regarding homosexuals serving in the American military. This policy forced LGBTQ+ service members into secrecy so as not to be barred from service, enforcing the message that being gay in America was something to be ashamed of and quiet about.
When asked how he came to be involved in the arts, Girard says that during his time in college, “It was the faculty in the Art Department at the University of Northern Iowa who made sure I had a space to explore myself, see value in myself, and launch a career. To this day, I remember the art history professor who called my dorm room when I was a no-show to check in on me – that care changed my world.” And, he adds, “I work every day to pay that forward to our students, and ensure they have a safe space to explore, create, and thrive.”
He does so by actively cultivating a safe, welcoming environment within the Art and Design Department where students feel they can explore their creativity and always be their authentic selves.
Under Girard’s oversight, encouragement to explore comes in the form of giving students the space to dig into their interests and then create something meaningful around them.
“As an educator,” he says, “I strive to create curricular structures that are flexible and allow students to engage with content that showcases their perspective and supports their professional goal.”
Beyond the Art and Design Department, Girard also has become involved in projects on and off campus that seek to create a culture of belonging and support.
One example of the supportive, community-minded projects Girard cultivates includes a heartfelt and empathetic response to an incident that happened on campus during the 2018 Supreme Court nomination hearings. In October of 2018, the Women’s and Gender Studies Department (WGS) faced harassment for being supportive allies to all who have experienced sexual assault. After the incident was covered in the Southern News, Girard presented WGS Chair and Professor Tricia Lin with “a stack of beautiful and vibrant student posters themed ‘You Belong Here.’”
“As it turns out,” says Lin, “After reading the Southern News coverage, Professor Girard decided that he would change the plan for his graphic design class to address the issue of WGS being targeted. The result was 25+ moving and loving graphic messages from Professor Girard’s students to WGS. When I received the stack and heard the story, tears were in my eyes. Receiving the stack of Professor Girard’s students’ supportive designs will always be a highlight in my 25+ years of teaching in U.S. higher education.”
After a thoughtful pause, Girard responds to Lin’s story by pointing out that “art and design can be a mechanism for community building and healing, such as the ‘You Belong Here’ poster series. I did not have the representation I needed, now I want to be sure to be that representation for others.”
