RECLAIMING OUR BURLESQUE HISTORY

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RI & MA

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RECLAIMING OUR BURLESQUE HISTORY ~ RI & MA ~

“Reclaiming Our Burlesque History: Burlesque in RI & MA”, was a temporary installment with a mission that matches its title. The gallery opened with showcasing a brief history of RI & MA burlesque, starting in the early 20th century. The bulk of the exhibit highlights “Where We Are Now”; recent and current performers’ stories and experiences told through memorabilia from 1980’s to today. 

The goal of this exhibition was to tell the story of burlesque through the eyes of performers - from their inspiration to their stage experiences.

Each piece displayed was donated by the burlesque, variety show, and drag community with the objective to keep exhibits authentic and connected to those who used them.  

Reclaiming Our Burlesque History Collection

A Note From Our Curators

“The word I keep coming back to is: Reclaiming.

Whether it’s due to misogyny, sex work stigma, or lack of monetary opportunities – burlesque performers, who put their bodies on the line, are still being erased from local history. Creating a space that allowed performers to feel proud of their art and honored the (sometimes the literal) blood, sweat, and tears that go into a performance felt crucial to redirecting the conversation about burlesque. This exhibit is about reminding performers, seasoned and new, that their stories have a place in our history, while also educating the public on the ingenuity of this community. There are pieces displayed that require true craftsmanship and years of strategizing to construct, while there are others that were put together in a matter of minutes using scrap materials. Each piece, like each performer, is unique and resilient.

So in the face of stigma, misogyny...what do we do? We continue to take our fucking titties out!!”

Lopez La Lopez

“As we began our mission reaching out to different community members, hear their stories, and see all the pieces that physically embodied them it solidified what we already knew: this is important.

Important because there are so many performers who resonated with our main message that all performers have a story and deserve to tell it in their own terms. We all seemed to agree that too often performers’ stories are either usurped or otherwise forgotten due to insufficient documentation. We’re, quite frankly, over all that. So, we set out to ensure that there would be a space for everyone to reclaim what was theirs and tell their own stories. Every piece displayed is a personal story of dedication, passion, and love because that’s what performers do, and what our community does so well.

From here on out every contributor can be sure that their stories are told and documented, appreciated and revered, and their own. I’m so honored to be trusted in creating this performer centered space.”

Odette Goode

The Collection

Lucky 13

  • Pictured: Dixie Douya's Kermit and Beaker from her Miss Piggy Act.

  • Pictured: Dewie DECAMATOR's winning banana costume from the second Lucky 13

  • Item description

  • Item description

Devilivia’s Go-Trunk

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.

The Slutcracker

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.