Location: Galleries

Join celebrated artist and performer Chris Jay in lifting up stories of queer lived experiences. Using artworks in the Walters collection as entry points, Jay will share stories related to the theme of personal growth and explore how this theme is reflected in works of art in conversation with Theresa Sotto, Ruth R. Marder Director of Learning and Community Engagement.

Queering the Collection is an in-gallery program series that invites queer-identifying perspectives to participate in a conversation that connects art-historical and artistic knowledge about works in our collection. Speakers discuss works of art in our galleries followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

About the Guest Speaker:

Chris Jay is a photographer, performer, and podcast host. While photographing Washington D.C. nightlife, Jay took to the stage as a drag king and performed with troupes like the DC Kings, Chocolate City Burlesque and Cabaret, and Pretty Boi Drag. In 2017 they started the daily Facebook Live Podcast Coffee with Chris, which ran for five years. In the last decade, Jay received a number of awards including Best of Gay D.C.’s Best Artist in 2016, Best Drag King in 2017, and Baltimore’s King of Pride in 2018. In 2020 they developed a book of portraits called Some of the Dopest People I Know, which includes photographs of local performers, activists, and other artists in the Baltimore/Washington area. Currently, Jay is the President of Baltimore’s Clifton Pleasure Club and the newly formed Lived Experience Storytellers Collective.