Black/queer Kansas City: Exhibit Grand Opening & Cocktail Hour

3601 Main Street,Kansas City MO 64111

12 May, 2023

Description

Join BlaqOut and The Kansas City Defender as we unveil another chance to view the exhibit for Black/queer Kansas City (B/qKC). As produced through The Kansas City Defender, B/qKC is educating the Kansas City community on the contributions of local Black LGBTQIA2S+ community members–in turn, liberating their histories from racism and homophobia-fueled erasure.Born from Black queer resource-deficiencies in Kansas City, B/qKC is a historical anthology and moving exhibit conceptualized and curated by Nasir Anthony Montalvo for The Kansas City Defender. The Kansas City Defender is an award-winning, Black-led community organization producing news, mutual aid, art & cultural programming for Black people in Missouri and Kansas. An Abolitionist organization, The Defender is a vehicle to contribute concretely to the social, economic, cultural and political uplift of Black people. Learn more about this project at kansascitydefender.com/bqkc.BlaqOut's new space on 3601 Main–formerly a gallery space.The exhibit, comprised of both past and present Black queer Kansas Citians, is a commemoration of (1) raw, complex identities, (2) revolutionary Black progress, (3) love and sexuality as a vehicle for change and (4) lives and stories lost due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Coalesced with an opening cocktail hour and numerous community partners, we encourage you to stop by for food, drinks, music and newfound knowledge. Merchandise items for sale will be available at event as supplies last (reserve purchasable items in advance at checkout). After opening, the exhibit will be viewable at this location from May 16th-20th during the hours of 10am-2pm. Pictured is Montalvo at PH Coffee in the Historic Northeast with the Lea Hopkins portion of the exhibit (from the late February/early March exhibition).Note that tickets for this event are sliding scale to make this event more accessible and celebrate Black folk. More info on this during checkout. A free Zine created in collaboration with Astringent Press will be included with all ticket orders. Quience X. Sykes: prominent leader of anti-racist organization, Men Of All Colors Together-Kansas City, in the 80's and 90's. Commemorative print created in collaboration with Oddities Prints. Available for purchase at the event (reserve at checkout).