Rob and Eric Thomas-Suwall – known online by their moniker, The Icy Gays or @theicygays – acquired their first artwork, Corydon Cowansage’s Stairs #3, seven years ago after discovering it online. To call this purchase life-changing would be an understatement. Becoming “art collectors” was never a goal for the couple, but this painting, with its surreal abstraction of nature, became the point of origin for their committed discovery and support of emerging queer and female artists which would ultimately grow into a landmark collection.
FULL DISCLOSURE marks the first public display of works from the collection of Rob and Eric Thomas-Suwall, contemporary art collectors based in Minot, ND. This exhibition is curated by Anne-Laure Lemaitre, a New York based curator, writer, and creative strategist. With +15 years of experience creating global art infused activations, greater than life installations and complex site-specific programs around the world, she strongly believes in the importance of anchoring art in its context to further its impact, trigger new perspectives, and explore new conceptual territories. With FULL DISCLOSURE, The Icy Gays and Lemaitre invite everyone into their world where nature and humanity surreally entwine, and new identities emerge.