QUEER CITY OF THE PLAINS GIVES US DENVER’S LGBTQ HISTORY

The LGBTQ movement is filled with important figures and events that left marks cemented into crusade. Looking into the history of the LGBTQ community, many know the general story of our journey: The Stonewall Riots, cake denial, and the legalization of same-gender marriage in 2015. However, looking within Denver, can you pinpoint stories and people within the queer movement that happened beneath your feet? Perhaps your surroundings on the way to work have a place within history that lead you to live freely today (well … almost). Queer City of Plains is an art exhibit currently being held at the McNichols building in the Civic Center Building. The purpose of the exhibition is to look into the history of the LGBTQ movement in Denver and highlight stories that might have been buried in the chaos. The art exhibit includes the work of various, contemporary artists and historians assisting in the pieces reflecting the history of the queer movement with accuracy. Each artist was given a certain time period to look at and interpret in order to craft their new works of art.

by Arianna Balderrama

Brenden Picker is the curator of Queer City of Plains. He works for Denver Arts and Venues as a public art program administrator, and OUT FRONT was able to chat with him about this insightful exhibit.

How would you describe Queer City of the Plains?

I work in the McNichols building; that's where the cultural affairs team works. My colleague, Shana Shelby, manages the exhibitions that happen. Over a year ago, she asked if I would help curate a show for summer 2020 that would coincide with gay pride and the Civic Center and would have kind of an LGBTQ team for the show. So, I was thrilled at the opportunity. And, right off the bat, I wanted to illuminate Denver’s queer history. It wasn't just about the art, but it was something a little more educational.

I found David Duffield, who is a historian, and he works part-time at the The Center on Colfax, and has done a lot of work with queer history in Denver and Colorado. I partnered with him, and we basically decided to divide Denver's history into four, distinct elements starting up when the city incorporated as a city into the present day. I located artists whom I thought would be interested in working with the project to basically respond to each of the four narratives through art. We have a section about the history of the rainbow flag written by Genevieve Waller, who is another historian. I had Steven Frost respond to the history of the rainbow flag. Jonathan Saiz responded to the first historical narrative, which was 1859 to 1939.

Adir Norris is a really amazing artist as well, and she responded to the narrative from 1940 to 1969. The Secret Love Collective, which is a queer arts collective, did 1969 to 1996. Brian Corrigan responded to 1996 through 2020. Steven Frost, who is an amazing textile artist, did a reinterpretation of the rainbow flag and did a queer flag for the City of Denver. We also have Yvie Oddly who won Season 11 of Rupaul’s Drag Race, one of her signature looks on the show, and she also wore it when she came to Civic Center last year for gay pride. Jared Polis, who is the first openly gay U.S. governer, his

iconic blue sneakers are also in the show. The show, we just really wanted it to be accessible to all ages. We want to illuminate some stories that may not have been told in the past and really bring together a diverse group of artists to respond to those historical stories through art.

As curator, what were you looking for when seeking out artists?

I definitely wanted artists who are contemporary artists. I wanted artists who were willing to create new work for the show and to kind of utilize the space of the McNichols building. The third floor is a huge space, and I really didn't want to use existing work. I wanted the artists to create new work and use the space. I wanted artists to be site-specific and installationbased. I also wanted to represent the diversity of the contemporary artists who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, since that is the thrust of the show is the LGBTQ+ community.

How has Queer City of the Plains incorporated artists and pieces that reflect different backgrounds? Are indigenous people represented?

Jonathan Saiz, in that first narrative about the early days of Denver, there's some mention of that in that narrative. So, Jonathan Saiz created a really beautiful piece in that show about the Two-Spirit people, and I think that's a really a really poignant piece on the wall. Steven Frost, although he's not Native, he did really want to reflect some of that Native history inextiles. The fibers he used to create the rainbow flag were used to connect back to the Native roots of Colorado and Denver.

Why do you think it is important for people to take a look into our LGBTQ history?

In a lot of ways, we've made some strides in terms of gay rights and transgender rights, but there's still sort of a long way to go. It felt important to keep telling the stories and illuminate new stories. The struggle is really not over, so having a show that can be accessible through art for people of all ages [felt important]. Your kids can come see the show and learn about the rainbow flag and learn about some of its history. Our elders can see the show and hopefully recognize some of their contributions that have been made in Colorado and Denver. The struggle is not over. I think we have to keep telling our stories and keep illuminating stories that aren't being told. And so, it's kind of continuous sharing. Also, to enjoy the positive things that have come out. I also want the show to reflect that and celebrate our victories as well.

Why does the exhibit highlight themes such as storytelling, camp, and resistance? How does each theme play a role in the Denver LGBTQ movement?

This summer, obviously with the pandemic, the Civic Center celebration was online and virtual. The Black Lives Matter movement is another, similar story of struggle and resistance to oppression and injustice. There's so many stories to be told about the fight for justice and the fight for equality, and this is just one sliver of that. The McNichols building is kind of the arts and cultural hub at least for the city. It’s so important to bring to light some of these queer stories and illuminate that within the building, which is public building. I think that's an important part of the show.

Working with historians, what information about Denver’s queer history has impacted you personally?

The Wendall Sayers interview is amazing to listen to. The Secret Love Collective’s response to their section has to do with HIV and AIDS and that pandemic and the struggle for equal rights. Their installation is just beautiful, and they also wrote up a beautiful poem responding to that: 10 verses, and there's a timeline at the bottom that kind of highlights landmark decisions in the city and state. It’s so rich; there's so much to tell.

What are some pieces worth highlighting, and why?

I have to say, it was really fun to work with Yvie Oddly. She actually came to McNichols to deliver her umbrella herself. It was such a joy to meet her. It was really fun to highlight that rise to stardom and have that iconic, pink umbrella in the show. So, that was definitely a fun highlight. For more information, visit mcnicholsbuilding.com to check out the digital exhibit or plan your visit.