Browsing Tag

Houston

Acts of Rebellion: Experimental Action Centers Queer Performance Artists

A photo of Antonius Bui at Experimental Action.

If you truly know Houston, you know there’s no denying our ranking as a national contender in the competitive visual arts dominion. The city is continuously abuzz with new and up-and-coming gallery openings, exhibitions, and alternative art collectives. What often gets left out of the picture, however, is the avant-garde, activist-inspired, trailblazing, and authentic performance art scene. This repertoire is the city’s best-kept secret—one that deserves to be exposed and given some long-overdue recognition. At the heart of this scene is…

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Growing Up Black and Queer: The Catastrophic Theatre Presents Robert O’Hara’s ‘Bootycandy’

A photo from Bootycandy.

Recent years have seen a rise in mainstream discussions centered on queer Black masculinity. Frank Ocean’s lyrics hinted at his queerness before the rapper opened up about the subject. Actress and writer Issa Rae’s Insecure questioned how women view Black men who have had sexual experiences with other men. Jaden Smith disrupted traditional notions of masculinity by playing with gender presentation before ultimately coming out as queer in 2018. And, perhaps the most landmark cultural production about the subject, director…

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Photo Recap: Spectrum South’s Veer Queer Season 4 Kickoff

A photo of Veer Queer.

Spectrum South and Veer Queer have officially joined forces to bring you more queer southern content each month! To celebrate, we hosted a live event to kick off the podcast’s brand-new season on January 24, 2019, at Sharespace Preston. Hosts Julien Gomez, Mai Ha, and Endesha Haynes sat down with special guest Jessica Zyrie for a conversation on her experience as a trans model, QTPOC activism, and southern roots.…

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Figures in the Shadows: Finding Queer Representation in Film Noir with Artist Jade Yumang

A photo of queer artist Jade Yumang.

Jade Yumang grew up as free a spirit as they come. Bouncing around his mother’s beauty salon in the Philippines while his father worked overseas, Yumang was allowed to be as openly himself as he wanted. The majority of his mother’s friends and salon coworkers were queer and, for a young boy and budding artist discovering himself, this environment was more than favorable for his personal growth.…

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#SpectrumScavenger: A Scavenger Hunt to Discover Houston’s Hidden Public Art

A photo of a Houston scavenger hunt.

Attention adventurers, fortune hunters, and explorers! Let’s try something new together—and if it works out, we just may make it a regular thing. I want to help you uncover some of Houston’s most spectacular (but relatively hidden) public art. But naturally, there’s a price. Instead of just telling you where to go and what you’ll find, I thought I’d take you on a spirited scavenger hunt across the city. So carve out some time, follow the given clues, and go…

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Queer Dance Theory: On Smashing the Heteropatriarchy, Creating Body- and Sex-Positive Dances, and What it Means to be a Queer Artist

A photo of queer dance theory.

I recently attended a Choreographers' Forum at Houston's 2018 Dance Salad Festival. The panel consisted of two gay male choreographers and one straight female choreographer. During the question and answer portion of the evening, I stood up and asked the artists if they had choreographed any work that explored queer experience and romantic relationships. Given how common love duets are in dance, I expected at least one or both of the gay choreographers to name queer-themed works they had created.…

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