\The artist Beau McCall and his Curator Souleo (also his life partner) have a timely and heartfelt exhibition spotlighting the Black LGBTQ+ experience in America and featuring collages by McCall and archival material from the Stonewall National Museum, Library, & Archives (SNMAL). The collages are drawn from McCall’s debut artists’ book, REWIND: MEMORIES ON REPEAT which honors the legacy of ten of McCall’s deceased friends. Each collage is composed of McCall’s personal archival photos and papers, along with images from his clothing button embellished artwork. The collages capture the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, from Philadelphia to New York, during the LGBTQ+ rights movement, the height of disco music and the AIDS crisis. McCall’s work is rooted in framing personal memories and experiences within historical and social contexts. To aid in this narrative select collages are paired with an archival item from SNMAL that relates to the theme of McCall’s artwork. This pairing draws a parallel between the personal experiences of McCall and his friends and the larger historical moments that impacted their lives. Collectively, McCall’s collages and Stonewall’s archive reflect the joys and struggles of the Black LGBTQ+ community and demonstrate how art and archives can be used as tools to better understand our lives, find connections between the past and present, and imagine a brighter future.
Dan McKeon has been THE photographer at every major event/party here in #Ptown for the past 10 years. A regular fixture in town and always with a big wide smile because amongst other things he gets to take pictures of all the very hot men that invade the town each summer.
Now with the very first Exhibit of his work Dan has taken advantage of the remarkable light that Cape Cod is known for and has focused on some of the iconic sights and the stunning landscapes of the area.
ZORITA was an American burlesque performer in the 1940s/50s whose act included two boa constrictors. She became very well known for pushing the limits of acceptable nudity and for her unique and controversial numbers, such as the ‘Half and Half’. She dressed one half of her body as a groom and the other as a bride, and, keeping one side to the audience, began to undress each other, leading to the ‘wedding night romp’. In another, an unseen ‘spider’ removed her clothes whilst she danced in front of a rhinestone-covered spiderweb.
Although she was queer she was however married, the first time at 15, and divorced three times. A famous quote of hers is that she stripped for men, but preferred women. Her fascinating and compelling story may not have the gravitas of many more conventional queer historical figures, but it still makes a significant contribution as to how the LGBTQ+ community would evolve
“Zorita Takes Miami” ExhibitionCurated by Julio Capó Jr.
UNTIL MAY 9thStonewall National Museum, Archives & Libraryinfo @stonewall-museum.org
Since the 1940’s Cherry Grove, New York a small village on FIRE ISLAND has been a vacation paradise for the LGBTQ Community. The Cherry Grove Archives Collection a non-profit organisation was established to record the community’s history and is currently presenting an Exhibit SAFE/HAVEN; GAY LIFE IN THE 1950’s at Stonewall National Museum & Archives in Wilton Manors.
Author queerguruPosted on Categories queerguru.tv
