Drag Officially Transcends the Underground and Explodes into the Mainstream in Unprecedented Photography Exhibition

(WEST BEND, WISCONSIN – April 12, 2022) –The Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) presents Legends of Drag: Portraits by Harry James Hanson and Devin Antheus on view during Pride Month and beyond. The exhibition showcases national and local drag elders instrumental in securing rights for today’s queer community and championing the art of drag.

The exhibition is on view May 27–August 21, 2022 at the museum’s downtown Milwaukee satellite location, MOWA | DTN. An opening reception will be held on Friday, May 27, 6:00–8:00. A list of related exhibition activities follows.

Artists Harry James Hanson and Devin Antheus, who grew up in the Milwaukee area, traveled coast-to-coast over four years, visiting sixteen cities to meet and photograph the legendary entertainers featured in the exhibition. Hanson and Antheus produced stunning portraits of eighty-one queens shot on location and styled with unique floral elements. While drag portraiture commonly situates performers on stage or in the studio, Legends of Drag spotlights their embodied divinity out on the street. Each photograph is a collaboration between artists and model, who jointly selected the location, styling, and blooms. Twenty-three portraits will be on display, including local queens: Christina Chase, BJ Daniels, Shannon Dupree, Ruthie Keester, The Sugarbaker Twins, and Karen Valentine.

“Legends of Drag is colorful, celebratory, and revelatory—sublime camp in keeping with the subject,” said MOWA Executive Director Laurie Winters. “MOWA is delighted to debut this unprecedented body of photography and to give these artists their first museum exhibition anywhere. It will certainly not be their last.” Their ongoing photography series has already been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone.

For making this exhibition possible, we sincerely thank Presenting Sponsor, Joseph Pabst. Major support was also generously provided by the Heil Family Foundation and The Valentine Fund as well as media sponsors 88Nine Radio Milwaukee, Milwaukee Magazine, and Our Lives—Madison’s LGBTQ & XYZ Magazine.

The museum’s satellite gallery MOWA | DTN is located inside Saint Kate—The Arts Hotel in the cultural district of downtown Milwaukee. MOWA | DTN is open to the public daily during hotel lobby hours, 7:00am–Midnight.

EXHIBITION ACTIVITIES
The exhibition and all exhibition activities will be held at Saint Kate—The Arts Hotel, 139 E. Kilbourn Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Details can be found at wisconsinart.org/exhibitions/legends-of-drag

Opening Party
Friday, May 27 | 6:00–8:00
Celebrate the opening and meet the exhibiting artists and the Milwaukee drag legends.

Legends Live Drag Show
Friday, June 10 | 8:00–9:30
Join Milwaukee queens and the Museum of Wisconsin Art in this ticketed event. Details and tickets available at wisconsinart.org/events/legends-live-drag-show

Artist Talk | Harry James Hanson & Devin Antheus
Sunday, June 12 | 1:00–2:00
Exhibiting artist and Milwaukee native Harry James Hanson talks about his four-year portrait project and the importance of archiving queer history.

Talk | The History of Milwaukee Drag
Sunday, July 17 | 3:00–4:00
Milwaukee drag icon BJ Daniels and long-time LGBT historian and activist Michail Takach discuss stories and experiences of Milwaukee drag culture, as well as their upcoming book, A History of Milwaukee Drag: Seven Generations of Glamour.

IMAGE CREDITS
Image 1: Harry James Hanson and Devin Antheus, Mutha Chucka, San Francisco, CA, 2018
Image 2: Harry James Hanson and Devin Antheus, Carla Gay, San Francisco CA, 2018

MEDIA RESOURCES
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ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART
A vital cultural center, educational institution, an expanding network of ideas, the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) collects and interprets American art through the lens of a single state. Informed by dynamic initiatives and collaborations, MOWA is an innovative forum for contemporary artists, socially relevant exhibitions, lectures by artists and industry experts, and engaging classes and activities for all ages.

MOWA has two permanent venues—the West Bend “Mothership” and MOWA | DTN in downtown Milwaukee’s Saint Kate—The Arts Hotel—as well as two partnering community organizations that create access across the state. MOWA annually welcomes 200,000 visitors, making it a cultural destination for the art and artists of our time.

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Jennifer Turner
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