Rainbow in Reverse: Queer Kansas History
January 19, 2018 | kate
Genevieve Waller
exhibition opens Friday, January 26, 6-9 PM
on view through February 16 by appointment
Who do you know in Kansas who is queer, non-binary, or transgender? Friends, family, celebrities? In the exhibition Rainbow in Reverse: Queer Kansas History, Genevieve Waller highlights LGBTQ Kansans who are well-known and not-so-well-known cultural figures within the state and beyond.
In a series of sculptures, installations, and photographs, she looks at the history of LGBTQ individuals in Kansas over the past several decades and the events that have affected queer Kansans. The title of the exhibition refers to the rainbow flag—an internationally-known symbol for LGBTQ+ rights and equality—created by the artist Gilbert Baker who was born in Chanute, Kansas and grew up in the state. Unquestionably, LGBTQ Kansans have faced discrimination and in 2018 they still struggle for equal rights and acknowledgement within the state and within their communities.
This exhibition seeks to recognize and celebrate the lives and contributions of LGBTQ people in Kansas and to advocate for their stories and histories to be better-known and included within the official histories of Kansas.
Genevieve Waller is an artist and scholar from Wichita, Kansas who currently lives in Denver, Colorado. She creates photograms (cameraless photographs), sculpture, drawings, and videos about the status of everyday objects, substitution, transparency, excess, and the aesthetic of camp. She researches and writes about art, film, popular music, and gay culture. Since 2012, she’s been compiling a history of Kansas focused on the LGBTQ+ people and events in the state since its inception in 1861 and even before. She holds an undergraduate degree in art history from Wichita State University, a master’s degree in photography and art history from Ohio University, and a master’s degree in visual and cultural students from the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. Currently in Colorado she hosts a college radio show called “The Violet Hour,” puts together history exhibitions for the Colorado LGBT History Project, is part of the Denver Silent Film Festival, and is a member of the Secret Love Art Collective.
Tags: Community