Andrew Thornton Members Exhibition Feature;
For artist Andrew Thornton, creation is a form of self-discovery and dialogue — with his materials, his identity, and his community. As part of the 2025 Touchstone Members Exhibition, Andrew brings this spirit of exploration to two enameled self-portrait brooches that blend craftsmanship, symbolism, and personal reflection. His works, “Moving Target” and “Golden Daddy,” confront themes of vulnerability, resilience, and cultural perception with striking honesty and artistry, inviting viewers into an ongoing conversation about what it means to create — and to be seen.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewthorntonartist/ Website: https://www.allegorygallery.com/
Read more about Andrew’s work in this interview by Erica Nuckles, PhD, Touchstone Communications Committee member and Director of Learning, Engagement and Partnerships at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg, PA.
What is your Touchstone story? How did you first hear about it and what drew you to be involved?
My husband and I had a shop in Ligonier for many years (we have since moved our shop to Johnstown) and I heard about Touchstone often in the local art scene. But it wasn’t until 2021 that I finally took the leap. During the height of the pandemic, I asked myself what I really wanted to do. I had always wanted to further my arts education, but you reach a point in life where that gets harder when you have more responsibilities. Taking classes at Touchstone was an accessible way that I could continue to learn without taking three years off for an MFA program. I was taking so many classes that they eventually asked me to join the board of directors.
Can you tell us about your journey as an artist—where did it begin, how has it evolved?
When I was growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money for store bought entertainments. My parents encouraged us to use what we had. A cardboard box could be a treasure box, a margarine tub of plastic beads could be precious gems… with a little imagination and creativity, anything was possible. Eventually I went to art school and got a BFA in painting and mixed media at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
I took a short break in school to help care for a family member. During that time, I got involved with the DIY sector of jewelry making. I got picked up quickly for books and magazines on how to make your own jewelry. I also had a blog, which helped me establish myself further in the jewelry community.
After I went back to New York and finished my degree, I met William. We eventually moved to Southwestern Pennsylvania, where he grew up. We were both tired of the hustle and bustle of the city and he wanted to be closer to his family. I had recently lost my grandparents and regretted not spending more time with them before they passed. My grandma was one of my fiercest protectors and would have been an Etsy superstar if she was alive today. She was an avid crafter and encouraged me early on in my creative pursuits. I didn’t want William to have the same regrets.
We eventually opened Allegory Gallery, where we sell beads, art, and jewelry. I have learned so much through having the shop.
How do you describe your work(s) in the Touchstone Members Exhibition? Where did you find inspiration?
For the Members Exhibition, I included two of my self-portrait brooches. When I was living in New York City there was a show of Ellsworth Kelly’s pieces. If you aren’t familiar with his work, he is mostly known for large-scale geometric abstraction. I think they’re very impressive, but I didn’t really connect with those pieces. Next to that sprawling retrospective of his “important” works was a tiny gallery that showed his self-portraits. The self-portraits were done throughout his entire life in the popular style of the moment. They chronicle his life from being a young man to an older gentleman in the hospital. That show hit me and has stayed with me. It was someone’s life.
I received an artist in residence position at Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh where I was supposed to do a series of chimeras. I ended up hitting a roadblock with my original plan. So, I did a quick self-portrait as an exercise to loosen me up. I ended up spending the rest of my residency creating a series of self-portrait brooches. I try to use them as a way to work through topics that I am thinking about and are important to me. Oftentimes I try to use them to discuss topics of what it means to be a gay, BIPOC artist.
I made “Moving Target” in the wake of the Club Z shooting. There’s been an uptick in violence against the LGBTQIA+ in recent years and I feel like our safe spaces have been threatened and once again have marginalized people become targets.
“Golden Daddy” touches on ideas of exoticism in gay culture and the fetishization of BIPOC people. I remember overhearing stereotypes of how Asians were mysterious and exotic; people are both fascinated and repulsed by what is thought of as foreign or taboo. Funnily enough, I have adopted the moniker of Golden Daddy for our cats. (William is White Daddy.)
What’s something unique about your process, materials, or approach?
These pieces are both enameled but speak to the different qualities of the material. For example, “Moving Target” was purposefully hit with a hammer to create the cracks and chips. Enamel can be both fragile and incredibly strong, just like the LGBTQIA+ community.
“Golden Daddy” highlights the candy-like shiny surface that enamel can get. It’s slick and glossy but also creates distance between the viewer and wearer.
How do you hope viewers engage with or interpret your work? What would you like them to take away?
I am endlessly fascinated with what people think of my work once it leaves the studio. I think of it like a conversation. I know that once it leaves my hands, there isn’t a little Andrew that pops up and says, “this means this and this means that…” They take on a second life where the viewer brings their own perspectives to the table and that shifts what they might mean to someone else. I think the hope is that if my work is successful, it will inspire a feeling in the viewer, good or bad.
What does it mean to you to be featured in an exhibition at Touchstone?
It is a great honor to have my work shown here. I am always delighted by every opportunity to share my work. But it is even more meaningful because this is where I learned so many of the skills that I use to create the work I make. This exhibition highlights the diversity of the membership and shares the wide breadth of work being made by them. I think of it as a celebration of the Touchstone community.
Do you have anything else you would like to share?
I appreciate all the hard work that goes into making this show a reality. I hope that this exhibition continues for years to come and continues to grow and further reflect the amazing community that makes Touchstone what it is.
Visit the 2025 Touchstone Members Exhibition, on view through December 20, 2025, in the Bea Campbell Gallery at Touchstone in Farmington, PA. Click for gallery hours.