Stonewall 50 Celebration with Tiona Nekkia McClodden
Whitney Museum of American Art
THU, Jun 13, 2019
7:30–9:30 pm
Floor 1, Kenneth C. Griffin Hall
John R. Eckel, Jr. Foundation Gallery
In collaboration with 2019 Whitney Biennial artist Tiona Nekkia McClodden and inspired by the Meatpacking District’s queer club culture, the Whitney celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots with a free after-hours event featuring DJ SHYBOI, performances, and viewing of the 2019 Whitney Biennial.
The celebration will include drinks with music and performances by McClodden and other guest artists.
This event is for visitors age 21 and over. The event is free but registration is required.
Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove is a leather pride event prioritizing the SM community through performance, intervention, and series of readings set to take over the Whitney Museum of American Art on June 13 for two hours. Thematically set as a cruising party to retain knowledgetied to the material culture of the SM community, attendees will be asked to declare themselves as either voyeur or player before entering the building. All attendees are encouraged to flag in respect to all LGBT flagging systems (Hankies, Nails, Keys), which will be recognized and respected. Consent is core to this event.
The event will feature 4 hotspots each with small amp speakers equipped with a long mic. cord and microphone set throughout the museum. Each will be accompanied by a reader/performer. Music will be provided by DJ SHYBOI who will play throughout the entire duration of the event only pausing for the recognition of the honorees.
Performer Bobbie Hondo and I will be the Cruisers providing a performance/reading in the lobby area during the entire run of the show, providing knowledge on key figures within the SM community and related architecture in the Meatpacking district that no longer exist.
Students from my Black + Queer in Leather: Black BDSM Material Culture course will be situated within the fifth-floor galleries where an amp is placed. Anyone who is interested in providing SM related text readings as well as uplifting names in memory of the SM community members and bars in the area can join.
The event will run from 7:30pm, ending promptly at 9:30pm. Starting at 9:45 -10:45pm, Honoree Efrain John Gonzales will give an abbreviated version of his walking tour of the sex clubs and SM history of the Meatpacking District. He will lead the audience around the neighborhood while sharing images he's taken since the 70s and 80s. The tour will end at the subway station for the attendees’ easy access home.