Looking back at the last year and ahead into the next, the situation of the Caucus -- and, by extension, of the world of queer arts, criticism, theory, and history -- seems to present a series of variations on a theme. The theme was raised at CAA, by the title of our session, “What Next? Reconsidering queer methodologies.” The assumption behind that question, addressed by speakers in various ways, was that we need to rethink notions of identity and sexual politics to adapt to changes in the wider world and within our own evolving culture. And along with that philosophical retooling, we also need to critique our own practices and strategies, from the role of the Caucus to the relevance of queer-identified events. Most publicly, a busy debate about our future exhibitions has continued to reverberate around the Caucus listserve. Web discussion was sparked by Jenni’s opinion that, to one group of newer curator-critics, shows based on identity categories no longer seem intellectually viable or constructive. The passions on both sides ran high, and a consensus has emerged that we need to address this question more formally, in sessions or panels at both the November conference and next year’s CAA. We’re working with a few interested volunteers to prepare these events, but we could always use more help.
As for the Caucus’s own health as an organization, reports from the annual business meeting were downbeat. Total membership is down, people often don’t renew, and as a result income is down. Several good suggestions were made about possible remedies. In particular, we’d like to hear from any members who are willing to organize local fundraisers for the Caucus in their own areas; these need be no more elaborate than a lecture or artist talk for which you charge a nominal admission, or a cocktail party benefit at home, etc. But there’s a Catch-22 to such ideas: to spearhead them, we need a new treasurer/membership director to replace Sallie McCorkle, who has labored long and diligently in that office and needs a rest. (Anyone interested, please give us a holler; it’s not much work.) It’s customary in euphemistic “bureauspeak” to call such difficulties “challenges,” but problems they are, though we can take some comfort that they are partly the result of our long-term success. So it might be better to think of ourselves as faced with an opportunity (though a forced one) to think about who we are, how our goals fit (or don’t) with broad political, theoretical, and social changes, and what we really want to do now.
It seems clear that we are at a crucial fork in the ever-unfolding road of sexual culture -- not coincidentally, a concept that figures in the title of our upcoming November 12-13 conference in New York, “InterseXions: Queer Visual Culture at the Crossroads.” This gathering at City University’s Graduate Center, for which planning is proceeding apace, offers the next major venue for airing and debating such issues. We encourage every one of you to think about proposing a paper, panel, performance, or any other form of presentation that speaks to the state of the queer and the visual, historically or today -- and note that the deadline is coming up (June 10). Tell your friends and colleagues about the conference, and encourage them to participate and/or attend. You can get all the necessary information on proposals and on registration (a bargain at $35 for two days, including coffee and bagels!) from the website of our co-sponsor, the CUNY Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies: http://web.gc.cuny.edu/clags. In fact, why not send a brief announcement and the web address to your whole address book of LGBTQ arts folks? Help make this the biggest queer/visual symposium ever!
Lastly, on an individual note, Jim would like to thank Maura Reilly for being a fabulous co-chair to work with over the past two years, and to welcome Jenni to what I hope will be an equally productive collaboration. Those who find meaning in numerology may feel it auspicious that both of the cochairs now share all three initials (JMS).
Jim Saslow (saslowj@aol.com)
and
Jenni Sorkin (jmsorkin@hotmail.com)
Co-Chairs
Reminder: the caucus panel in Seattle is available on audio tape via the order form in the May issue of CAA news.
My name is Jenni Sorkin and I am the new Co-Chair. For those of you who don’t know me, a bit of background: currently, I am a Curatorial Research Assistant and Project Coordinator at MOCA in Los Angeles, and a Research Assistant in the Department of Contemporary Programs and Research at The Getty Research Institute. I hold an MA from The Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, and an BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. As of September, I am swapping coasts and will be starting the PhD program in History of Art at Yale University.
I am thrilled to be working on behalf of the Caucus, and was very honored to be elected in Seattle. My predecessor Maura Reilly has done a fantastic job these last two years, and I wish her all success in her position as Elizabeth A. Sackler Curator of Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
For those of you who have been following our listserve (queerart@forums.nyu.edu), I realize my tenure has gotten off to quite a bang---I’d like to thank all of you who have taken the time and energy to respond thoughtfully, commend, rage, or otherwise comment on my query regarding queer art exhibitions and their present status.
Clearly, this issue seems ripe for revisiting within the public domain. I am in the wee early stages of organizing a proposal for a panel on this topic at the InterseXions Conference at CUNY in New York, November 17-18. I urge and invite ideas and rants.
Please feel free to contact me with ideas, suggestions, and any input.
Looking forward to working with you!
Jenni
jmsorkin@hotmail.com
jsorkin@moca.org [Until July 1]
The annual business meeting of the Queer Caucus for Art was called to order by co-chairs Jim Saslow and Maura Reilly at 5:30 p.m. on February 19, 2004. Approximately 14 people were in attendance. Jim and Maura reviewed the past year: the “InterseXions” conference has been approved by CUNY Grad Center and the organizing committee is preparing the call for participation (which has since gone to the list); the exhibition “neoqueer” was curated by Maura with David Brown and Craig Houser; Jim and Maura each presented lectures at the GLBT Center in New York as fundraisers; Jonathan Weinberg has indicated an interest in doing a lecture as well (as has Flavia Rando indicated a willingness to help coordinate).
Erica Rand read a treasurer’s report for Sallie McCorkle who was chairing a panel at the same hour. The treasury balance is about $850.00, not counting income or expenses for the conference.
Approximately 220 labels are currently made for newsletter issues but a large proportion of those labels indicate that people have not renewed for 2003 (or 2004). Sallie has indicated that she would like to step down as treasurer and membership coordinator. A discussion of steps to increase membership, new and renewed, followed. Steps to increase membership and participation might include: the reception plays an important role in membership retention and finding new members, and an onsite reception is expensive but better attended; flyers should be sent to art and art history programs as listed in CAA publications; exhibitions are important and should be pursued vigorously, and a mix of curated and open shows is important; several of the “neoqueer” artists had not heard of the caucus (Maura has suggested sending newsletter to non-member participating artists); several schools have annual student paper conferences and the caucus could play a role in encouraging papers and/or co-sponsoring; a lunchtime session of student papers might be done at a future CAA; regional and local activities might provide more momentum throughout the year (and fodder for the newsletter); mentoring can be an important role for caucus members; MACAA, SECAC, WCA and other affiliated and local art associations might provide venues for caucus-related activities, and/or promotion (Laura Migliorino indicated she’d talk up the caucus at MACAA which meets next in Minneapolis, where there will also be a “Below 30” show at the University). There was general agreement that the mainstreaming of queer topics into the CAA conference had made it harder for caucus-specific activities.
The newsletter is currently costing approximately $240 per issue. Tee Corinne and Sherman Clarke agreed to continue as co-editors.
The second edition of the bibliography is “almost done.” Ray Anne Lockard is the editor and she indicated, through Jim Saslow, that student interns were going to be available this summer to do final work on the project. A final date for submissions needs to be determined and widely announced. The 1994 edition was the financial lifeblood of the caucus for several years. Formats for the new edition were discussed. Self-publishing provides more income for the caucus. Electronic publication might be nice for updating but considerable support was expressed for a print version of the new edition.
Jim Saslow agreed to continue for another term as male co-chair. Jenni Sorkin has agreed to a two-year term as female co-chair.
The “InterseXions: queer visual culture at the crossroads” conference will be held November 12-13, 2004 at the CUNY Grad Center in New York City. The caucus is the organizer and the CUNY Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies is co-sponsoring (and providing much needed publicity and other support). The program committees are working on the call for participation and other matters. The caucus should have a booth or table at the conference. It is hoped that an exhibition can be held simultaneously; the CUNY gallery is already committed then but other spaces have been investigated or suggested. Harmony Hammond and Ernesto Pujol looked for a space for a curated exhibition but were not successful. AIR Gallery has been suggested and will be investigated.
The 2005 CAA conference will be held in Atlanta. The deadline for sessions has already passed though we will still get a lunchtime slot. Jim Bergesen agreed to do some scouting about for space in Atlanta in which to do a caucus show. At the time of the business meeting, it was stated that New York would be the venue for 2006 and some preliminary discussion of NYC plans ensued. [Since the conference, I have heard that 2006 will be in Boston and 2007 will most likely be in New York City.] The importance of having artist sessions sponsored by the caucus was reiterated.
The business meeting ended at about 7 p.m. and people went off to sessions including the caucus-sponsored “What next?: reconsidering queer methodologies” co-chaired by Maura Reilly and James Smalls. Panelists were Jim Saslow, Tee Corinne, Eugenio Filice, and Jonathan Weinberg (paper read by James Smalls).
Activities during the conference included the session mentioned just above, the “neoqueer” exhibition at the Center on Contemporary Art (list of artists in January 2004 newsletter), a reception for the show at CoCA on Friday night, and a lunchtime session entitled “Queer artists speak” organized by Sallie McCorkle and with panelists Daniel Heyman, Carrie Moyer, Robert Repinski, and Harmony Hammond.
Compiled by Sherman Clarke, Secretary
19 March 2004
The caucus would like to thank the following for their efforts during the past year of caucus activities:
Looking ahead to CAA 2005:
“Criminal intent: lawlessness and artistic genius” - panel chaired by David Stone and Victoria Gardner Coates, call for papers included mention of Caravaggio and others known for glamorizing criminal behavior
A flurry of messages on the list about the continuing need (or not) for queer art exhibitions led to a call by Peggy Phelan for a panel discussion on the topic. To see the messages, you may go to the list archive at http://forums.nyu.edu