My Intention Behind Art & Soul

A few weeks ago the director of fun at CultureFIX, this new art gallery/bar/store space approached me about producing a low-key queer night. A friend of hers had been to Rebel Cupcake and suggested my name.

I went to visit the space and it seemed like a great spot. It’s well-lit like a coffee shop and there is cool art on the wall. The exhibit will change every month. The bar itself has a really cozy vibe and the gallery has couches, chairs, tables with flexible arrangements which makes it perfect as an event space. The bar serves beer, wine and has a menu of nice food. I immediately thought, “This is the kind of place I want to hang out with my friends.”

Rebel Cupcake has been wonderful and I am going to keep putting it on, but it is still very nightclub and harder to meet new people unless you’re comfortable doing the bar scene meeting new people thing. Art and Soul is definitely going to have a different vibe. I’m hoping late 90s inclusive feminist bookstore coffee shop.

And to bring it a little feminist bookstore coffee shop realness, I’m doing a short queer artists’ salon at 8:30 where some of my favorite writers, singers, poets, whoever happens to be in town will be presenting works in progress. For the inaugural party here’s the line-up:
*Glenn Marla, downtown tranny superstar “Girl you couldn’t mess up my pronouns if you tried.”
[http://www.glennmarla.com]
*Kit Yan, the reigning Mr. Transman 2010, sweetheart and incredible slam poet.
[http://www.myspace.com/kityanpoetry]
*Bevin Branlandingham reading from her memoir in progress on coming out into size acceptance, queerness and love found and lost.
[That’s me. It helps me to have benchmarks when I’m doing a big project like a memoir.]

I love that Kit Yan always dresses in theme.

As for the music, I was high off the fumes of the recently amazing Hard French NYC party. This incredible SF based afternoon party thrown by a group of amazing queers including my BFF-in-Law Devon Devine decided to go on the road and bring their magic to Brooklyn. And they brought it hard, I haven’t had that much fun getting day drunk in a long time. (Called “the country’s best gay party”.)

Me and Devon at Hard French NYC. They promise to come back in the Spring.

Hard French is all soul music (which I LOVE to dance to) so I decided to hire SF DJs Carnita & Brown Amy to make the playlist for Art & Soul. (The one draw back to the space is that the dj booth is not so dj booth.) Plus, playing vintage music means y’all can wear vintage outfits if you want. People really brought the vintage gorgeousness to Hard French NYC.

If you’re in town I would love to see you at Art & Soul! Tell your friends!

Oh yeah, I totally named the party after this amazing 80s song.