A Kansas City Artist's Exhibition Called 'Hell' Invites More Than One Type Of Prayer

Kansas City artist Ryan Wilks' new exhibition at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center attracted a group of women who formed a circle and prayed. It's not uncommon, Wilks says, for Christians to offer help with eternal salvation.
Wilks used to be offended by the behavior, but in this case it only provoked a shrug.

"The title itself, 'Hell' — it's blasphemy," says Wilks (who prefers plural pronouns). So they understand the women's impulse.
Rather than rail back at the women or usher them out, however, Wilks engaged in conversation and the group listened.
"As a young queer person, my first introduction to shame and self-loathing and the devaluing of my existence was through religion, and it was through God, and it was through men telling me that I wasn’t worthy, that my spirit, that my soul was not worthy," Wilks says.
Internalizing those messages, like many others have, is really damaging, Wilks says, and the wounds go deeper than self-esteem.