Nicole Maines has become powerful role model for transgender teens and ArtRage is bringing her to Syracuse to share her story with our community. She will share the empowering story of finding the courage to be her true self, overcoming obstacles from both within and outside of her family.

Nicole and Jonas became nationally known in 2015 when the book, Becoming Nicole, about Nicole’s transition as a transgender teen was published. Soon after, artist, Robert Shetterly, chose to paint their portrait as part of his Americans Who Tell the Truth series. The exhibit at ArtRage Gallery will be the first time the portrait is exhibited.

Nicole: “I realized my gender at the same time my brother did. Yet everyone assumed that I didn’t know what I was talking about. I couldn’t possibly be old enough to make the distinction between whether I was a boy or a girl. Yet my twin brother was.”

Jonas: “Hate isn’t instinctual, it’s learned. We Teach our children to share the same ignorance and prejudices as us, and that is how they live on. Teaching a younger generation to love and understand will allow bigotry and hate to pass out of our lives.”

At Robert Shetterly’s recent unveiling of his portrait of Nicole and Jonas Maines he remarked that “Nicole and Jonas’ courage, commitment, and outspokenness made them perfect models for the kind of people—especially young people—that I want to paint and present as models of courageous citizenship.” “The opposite of courage is not cowardice—it is conformity,” said Robert, quoting Texas writer Jim Hightower in closing.

THANKS TO OUR CO-SPONSORS:
Tiffany M. Gray from the LGBT Resource Center and
Professor Robin Lee Riley from Women & Gender Studies,
both located within Syracuse University

Special thanks for all of the Indiegogo funders
who made their visit to Syracuse possible!

Ed Becker, Sean Branagan, Navroz & Binaifer Dabu, Rebecca Garden,
Bob Gates, Sally Gewinner, Julie Gozan, Judith Griffen, Sam Gruber,
John Haritatos, Mary Kuhn, Nancy & Bruce McCoy, Peggy Ogden,
Martha Ryan, George Savage, Jeff Unaitis and Susie Weiss.