pistoldrew's Blog

Melbourne, Australia's Midsumma Festival will take the opportunity to turn the spotlight on stories of transgender Melburnians this year.

The annual event for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community in the city will feature a retrospective of award-winning Melbourne drag queen Vivien St James who tragically died from a brain tumour in March last year. Her journey is told through a retrospective of the extravagant costumes which made her "the Rolls Royce" of drag queens, according to curator Isaac Lumis.

Other highlights include Jesslyn Moss presents TransMasculinities: a major Midsumma group show at the Red Gallery featuring photography, painting, drawing and video by eight artists from around Australia, the UK and the United States. This exhibition explores new models of masculinity and offers a rare insight into the physical and psychological aspects of transgender butch, gender queer and transmasculine experiences.

For Melbourne locals or travellers, Vivien St James 1965-2009 is on at fortyfivedownstairs from January 18-30 (free) and From Maternal to Metal is on at the Butterfly Club on January 27 and 28.

The Midsumma Festival runs January 17-February 7. For bookings or further information go to midsumma.org.au